Climate Related Excerpts from the Tenth Democratic Presidential Debate in Charleston

Seven candidates participated in Tuesday’s Democratic primary debate in Charleston, South Carolina. The participants in the tenth Democratic presidential debate were Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg and Amy Klobachar. Here are excerpts of the six times that climate change was mentioned in the debate.

STEYER: And let me say that I got into this race because I wanted to fight for economic justice, for racial justice, and to make sure we had climate justice for the American people.

SANDERS: In the White House today — in the White House today, we have a self-described “great genius” — self-described — and this “great genius” has told us that this Coronavirus is going to end in two months. April is the magical day that this great scientist we have in the White House has determined — I wish I was kidding; that is what he said. What do we have to do? Whether or not the issue is climate change, which is clearly a global crisis requiring international cooperation, or infectious diseases like Coronavirus, requiring international cooperation, we have to work and expand the World Health Organization. Obviously, we have to make sure the CDC, the NIH, our infectious departments, are fully funded. This is a global problem.

BLOOMBERG: But we — make no mistake about it, we have to deal with China, if we’re ever going to solve the climate crisis. We have to deal with them because our economies are inextricably linked. We would be — not be able to sell or buy the products that we need.

STEYER: I want to say something about foreign policy, which is this, we keep acting as if we’re in the 20th Century or the 19th Century. If you look at the biggest threats to the United States, we’re talking right now about coronavirus that cannot be solved within the borders of the United States. We’re talking about climate change which is a global problem where we need U.S. leadership for countries around the world. In fact, Mr. Trump’s policy of us going it alone, of “America first,” of having no values, no allies, and no strategy is disastrous for us. The biggest threat to America right now in terms of our safety of our citizens is climate. And it’s time for us to deal with it that way. Every single foreign policy issue is about American leadership and coalition.

SANDERS: Misconception — and you’re hearing it here tonight, is that the ideas I’m talking about are radical. They’re not. In one form or another, they exist in countries all over the world. Health care is a human right. We have the necessity, the moral imperative, to address the existential threat of climate change. Other countries are doing that. We don’t need more people in jail, disproportionately African-American, than any other country on earth — not a radical idea. The motto, the saying that — that moves me the most is from Nelson Mandela. And Mandela said, “Everything is impossible until it happens.” And that means, if we have the guts to stand up to powerful special interests who are doing phenomenally well; if we can bring working people together, black and white and Latino, we can create a nation… where all people have a good standard of living.

BUTTIGIEG: I seek to live by the teachings that say if you would be a leader, you must first be a servant. And, of course, the teaching, not unique to the Christian tradition, but a big part of it, that holds that we are to treat others as we would be treated. And when I think about everything at stake, from racial and economic justice to our stewardship of the climate, to the need to heal the sick and the need to heal this country, I seek for those teachings to order my steps as I go through this campaign and as I go through life.

WARREN: Understand this, the filibuster is giving a veto to the gun industry. It gives a veto to the oil industry. It’s going to give a veto on immigration. Until we’re willing to dig in and say that if Mitch McConnell is going to do to the next Democratic president what he did to President Obama, and that is try to block every single thing he does, that we are willing to roll back the filibuster, go with the majority vote, and do what needs to be done for the American people.