To ensure that the United States continues to work to combat climate change, it is imperative that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump not be elected president, Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said Thursday during a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. “Climate change is happening now, but Donald Trump he calls it … a hoax,” Karpinski said. “More than that, more than just deny it, his policies would make climate change worse.”
Trump has said throughout his campaign that he would reopen coal mines. The billionaire real estate mogul’s energy plan, unveiled in May, centers on making the United States completely energy independent.
Under Trump’s plan, the federal government would scrap any regulation deemed “outdated, unnecessary, bad for workers or contrary to the national interests.” Moratoriums on energy production in federal areas, including drilling moratoriums in Alaska and presumably the current freeze on new coal leasing, would be lifted.
“His energy plan would mean more pollution in our air, more poison in our water, and more public lands stripped for private profit. Well, that may be good for the Koch brothers, and good for Exxon, and good for big oil, but Trump’s policies would be terrible for our families and our future,” Karpinski said.
To reflect its opinion of Trump’s position on climate change, the League of Conservation Voters Wednesday named him to its “dirty dozen” list, identifying him as a candidate who consistently sides against the environment. “Dirty, dangerous, denying Donald,” Karpinski said. “I can’t imagine anyone more deserving.”
The organization has thrown its support behind Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. “Our very top priority this year is electing Hillary Clinton the next president of the United States, because the stakes could not be higher,” Karpinski said, later stating, “Hillary is a proven leader with a vision and a plan to combat climate change and make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. That’s what we need. Her solutions are win, win, win, win; good for our economy, for our security, for our health, and for our planet.”