Presidential Debate Moderators Skate Past Climate Change

Some candidates want to talk about it and voters want to hear them but the moderators of presidential debates have so far skated past global warming—notwithstanding its urgent implications for the U.S. and its relationship with the developing world. Kevin Ummel, of CGD's Confronting Climate Change initiative, looks at the recent ABC debate among Democratic hopefuls moderated by George Stephanopoulos. What is needed, he says, are tough questions that will separate the climate change pretenders from those who are prepared to engage American voters in a frank discussion of the serious challenges we all face.