Title: #ClimateForum2020
Michael Bennet
The senior Senator from Colorado, Bennet was previously the superintendent of Denver’s public school system. He noted the particular guilt of today’s political actors, both in the US and abroad, looking at a very clear picture. “This generation of Americans has a lot to be really angry at us about.”
Cory Booker
The junior Senator from New Jersey and former Mayor of Newark, Booker pushed back against tax incentives to shape personal behavior. And believing strongly that united efforts are possible, he said, “History will judge us. ‘Where did you stand when the planet was in peril?” Booker was confident that good science is winning.
Steve Bullock
Governor Bullock of Montana was first elected in 2012, having served as the state’s Attorney General before that. Taking a holistic approach, he emphasized agriculture’s role. “The contributions our agricultural communities can make to addressing climate change are significant.”
Pete Buttigieg
Serving as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana from 2012 to 2020, “Mayor Pete” gained national prominence through his campaign for the DNC chairmanship. Centering his argument around his faith and that of millions of Americans, he stated, “It’s a moral issue. This is about stewardship, this is about justice.”
Julián Castro
Mayor of San Antonia, Texas before joining the Obama administration, Castro served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017. “This is not only a crisis, it is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to make great jobs. Jobs that will help people feed their families.”
John Delaney
From 2013 to 2019, Delaney represented Maryland’s 6th District in the House of Representatives. He strongly emphasized the need for international agreements like the Paris Accords and global consensus-building. “Our current president is an isolationist . . . you fundamentally can’t deal with climate change if that’s your approach.”
Tim Ryan
Congressman Ryan, representing a district in northeastern Ohio and serving in Congress since 2003, made headlines as a challenger to Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House in early 2019. At the Climate Forum, he pushed back on Trump’s approach to the environment. “Don’t be selling us nostalgia, sell me the future. I want to sell the future of work.”
Bernie Sanders
The progressive Senator from Vermont and surprise challenger during the 2016 Democratic primaries, Sanders made sure to connect the crisis facing our climate with the economic issues he more regularly champions. He was suggested criminal charges for fossil fuel executives “who knew they were destroying the planet.”
Tom Steyer
Hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and liberal activist, Steyer entered the world of politics in 2013 launching NextGen America, a progressive non-profit focused on climate change and immigration. In late 2017, Steyer launched a massive ad campaign seeking impeachment of President Trump. No matter the challenge, “there’s a positive way forward.”
Bill Weld
The lone Republican at the two-day event, Weld is the former Governor of Massachusetts and was on 2016’s Libertarian ticket as VP. Coming from the conservative angle, ultimately he stated that for the particularly obstinate and ignorant climate-deniers, “You just have to go around them.”
Marianne Williamson
Known popularly as Oprah Winfrey’s “spiritual advisor,” Williamson is the author of 13 books, co-founder of the Peace Alliance, and advocate for a variety of causes. “I want to initiate a phase of repair, an era of repair.”
Andrew Yang
An entrepreneur by trade and corporate lawyer by training, Yang founded Venture for America, a job-creating non-profit in 2011. He gained recognition during the primary campaign for championing and popularizing the concept of a Universal Basic Income. If elected, “the entire White House motor pool will be electric.”
Read more: The Hoya – Georgetown Voice – On The Record – NY Magazine – Washington Post
Watch it all: Day One – Day Two
Hashtag: #ClimateForum2020
Photo album: Flickr