How green is this election? The fossil fuel industry has been pouring funds into political campaigns for decades, buying into candidates who will promote the growth of unsustainable energy sources such as oil, coal and natural gas. The Center for Responsive Politics reported that the oil and gas industry poured $76 million into federal campaigns in 2012, and that the coal mining industry provided another $15 million.
The Nation, a weekly political magazine, and 350 Action have teamed up and asked major political candidates in the Democratic, Republican and Green parties to “neither solicit nor accept campaign contributions from any oil, gas or coal company.”
“Voters deserve to know whether our candidates will do what the science demands: keep the majority of U.S. coal, oil and gas reserves underground,” The Nation writes. “And if we’re going to trust politician’s assurances, we need to know that they’re not taking campaign contributions from the very industry that’s driving this crisis.” So far, only three candidates have taken the pledge: Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley and Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
But where do the rest of the candidates stand on climate change and adopting renewable energy? We know that it’s early in the 2016 presidential race, but this election has the potential to truly revolutionize energy in America. We at Exact Solar feel that politics are at the heart of the green movement. So we are going to do all of the dirty work and research for you to provide you with the breakdown of the greenest and not-so-eco-friendly candidates so far. Stay tuned for our first spotlight tomorrow!