By GRACIE DENEEN ‘21 & GEORGE ROSE ‘21

This article serves as a guide for Super Tuesday voters who consider Climate Change as an important issue. Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner in Massachusetts, followed by Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, and Michael Bloomberg. Due to the looming threat of climate change, sustainability plans should be at the forefront of voters minds. The president of the United States has a huge influence on how the world tackles this issue, so voters should choose their candidate wisely. Hopefully this article will help Milton voters decide who deserves their vote in the upcoming election.

Warren was a cosponsor of Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal, according to ElizabethWarren.com. Signature to Warren’s plan is her promise to cut all emissions from power plants, vehicles, and buildings in the next ten years, according to the New York Times. Warren says she plans to provide funding for this part of her plan (which has a 1 trillion dollar price tag) by undoing the current administration's tax cuts for rich companies and individuals. The other 2 trillion dollars of her plan would go toward “green manufacturing,” providing capital for climate-friendly companies. These other 2 trillion dollars, Warren claims, would help accelerate the growth of the emerging green economy and create millions of new, clean jobs.

According to InsideClimate News, in his first year in the senate, Sanders introduced a grant program for energy efficiency which passed in 2007. Additionally, he won $3.2 billion in funding for the program as part of the 2009 economic recovery package, making the program the “largest investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy at the community level in U.S. history.” According to BernieSanders.com, Sanders’ plan is three pronged: he promises to make the energy system 100% renewable and create 20 million jobs in the process, hold the fossil fuel industry accountable and make the companies less greedy, and rebuild the economy while caring for frontline communities and industrial workers in need of new employment.

Bloomberg has directed much of his philanthropy at fighting climate change. In 2011, according to MikeBloomberg.com, he helped start a campaign that shuttered more than half of the coal-fired power plants in America; additionally, in 2019, he launched Beyond Carbon which was the largest campaign ever created to fight climate change. As New York City’s mayor, he reduced NYC’s carbon footprint by 14%, created more greenspace, and planted over 1 million trees. As president, Bloomberg aims to phase out emissions in electricity production, expand the economy and create jobs through the deployment of clean energy resources, and prioritize the support of communities most affected by climate change.

Named a “climate change pioneer” by PolitiFact due to his numerous contributions to a sustainable future, Biden has led many climate initiatives. He created one of the first climate bills for congress, fought for an act to help the U.S. reach agreements with foreign leaders to protect tropical forests, and oversaw the Recovery Act: the largest single investment in climate change in U.S. History. “Getting to a 100% clean energy economy is not only an obligation, it’s an opportunity,” says Biden. According to JoeBiden.com, Biden’s climate plan calls for international unity in the fight against climate change. Domestically, he aims for net-zero emissions by 2050; he promises to make historically large investments, incentivize quick change throughout the economy, communicate with other world leaders about their plans to hold them accountable for their progress or lack thereof, and above all, recommit to the Paris Agreement. Biden aims to protect low-income communities affected by climate change by limiting the fossil fuel industry’s realm of influence on these communities.

According to InsideClimate News, Buttigieg focused much of his time as mayor of South Bend, Indiana on sustainability. He worked with the coal-reliant town to create an Office of Sustainability and pushed the town to adhere to the Paris Agreement even when the country wasn’t. Buttigieg understands the magnitude of climate change and states that “climate change is not partisan – it is make or break.” According to PeteForAmerica.com, Pete aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 through a three step process: build a clean economy, invest in protection against the changing climate, and reestablish America’s leadership in climate advocacy. Buttigieg wants to implement a reasonable Green New Deal, quadruple funding for clean energy funding, and create clean energy standards.

As you can see, each frontrunner candidate has an in-depth climate plan to work with. Now, it’s your decision to choose whose plan is the most effective.

Your Super Climate Guide