Obama vs McCain: Operation Environment

I have to agree with Celina that both candidates share aspects of Market Liberals. Neither candidate forsees a total catastrophe occurring which would require drastic action. This prediction would alienate voters who think that environmental issues are not as important as other issues. Market Liberals advocate economic growth through globalization focusing on reducing poverty and raising the standard of living for all. Clean technologies and voluntary corporate greening are also qualities of Market Liberals.

Obama's platform incorporates economic growth based on ideas and goals that are better for the environment than any plan or idea currently in place. Providing Americans jobs will be a very important issue in the coming elections with the increasing number of US firms that are moving their operations to foreign locations. The fact that the jobs are green makes them even more attractive- at least to some. The green aspect will help to encourage environmental sustainability and conservation. Obama's plan is almost driving toward the Bioenvironmentalists in its goals to cut out oil and natural gas as much as possible and create and use alternative fuel sources.

McCain's platform is similar to that of Obama. His ideas are not as progressive and far reaching as Obama's goals and they are not spelled out. He generalizes the issue and does not go into detail explaining his ideas and plans. This makes me leery of the plans. With Obama's plans, I know exactly what to expect and when should he be elected. With McCain, when will the environmental reform begin? What will it entail? These are questions that he is going to need to answer and the sooner the better so that people can think about them and form opinions and compare them to those of Obama's plan. The only program that is specifically laid out is his cap and trade policy and the greenhouse gas emissions targets and the timetable for the targets. The cap and trade system would allow for a measure of control to be exerted over the economy with the close monitoring of the buying and selling of emission rights by large companies.

I feel as if based on the platforms for energy and the environment, Mr. Obama's platform and plan make the most sense. With his comprehensive and proactive policy to increase alternative energy use and the reduction and elimination of US dependency on oil, especially from the Middle East and Venezuela, his views and goals are clearly defined and laid out. Mr. McCain's ideas are positive but he has provided no plan to correct the problems facing the environment.