Environmental Politics: Obama Versus the Republican Presidential Hopefuls

When it comes to the environment, President Obama differs significantly from the current field of Republican presidential hopefuls. For starters, Obama accepts the scientific veracity of climate change where Republicans tend to deny the very existence of anthropogenic global warming.

Obama believes that sustainability should be incorporated into the economy, the GOP does not believe in spending Federal money to support the economy, nor does it believe in a green stimulus.

Obama has been a powerful advocate for cleaner energy, efficiency and the environment. Obama is focused on creating new green jobs, Republicans are not as interested in cleaner energy or efficiency and they want to let private enterprise provide employment. Obama rejected the Keystone XL pipeline while all the Republican presidential hopefuls supported it.

The GOP candidates support big oil while Obama has repeatedly tried to remove oil subsidies and transition away from oil.

Some think that Mitt Romney is the front-runner, he calls Obama’s green jobs idea a “green jobs myth.” Romney would like to limit the government’s role in renewable energy to little more than basic research. Romney is against the Obama administration’s loan guarantee and tax incentives program for cleantech.

These are but a few of the differences between Republican presidential hopefuls and Obama. The contrast could not be more stark. Predictably, the GOP wants to minimize regulations and restrict government spending. Obama wants to protect the environment (air and water) and invest government money to create a viable economy for a more sustainable future.

Anyone who has even a passing interest in the environment knows that another four years of Obama is infinitely superior to any of the Republican candidates.