Global Warming as Campagin Issue

One of the surprises for me of the current presidential campaign is how little the issue of global warming is in the campaign. The issue is highlighted in much of the elite media especially on CNN. However, it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue on the campaign trail and is seldom raised in Q & A sessions after my talks. Local papers, which I religiously read, seldom have anything but wire service articles about the issue.

The candidates for President seldom talk about global warming. In the recent PA primary global warming was such a peripheral issue that exit pollsters didn’t even bother to question voters’ attitudes about it.

So imagine my surprise when I picked up the S. F. Chronicle and found that the entire front section of the paper was filled with articles on the issue. On the front page was this headline, “Shiver of Worry in Wine Country”. Inside articles were “Coal’s comeback raises alarms;” “Europeans turning backs on cars;” “Greenhouse gases growing faster than ever, report says;” and “Crisis faces the Andes as glaciers melt.” Out of the 21 major articles in that section of the paper, one out of four was devoted in some way to climate change.

Global warming seems to be a much bigger issue in SF than what I’m seeing in my tours around the country. I think it would be helpful if the candidates and city dwellers spent a bit of time in places like Modoc County in NE CA.