Questions for Candidates and Press

Sample, Top-Level Questions from Constituents and the Press to assess Policymakers' and Candidates' understanding 

 

1. Is climate change real?  How strong is the evidence?

2. What causes it?

3. Is it a serious and urgent threat?  What is your understanding of potential global impacts and the timing of those impacts, which form the basis of your policies for climate change?

4. What goals (with respect to causes, behaviors, and especially timing) are critical for human and planetary health and sustainability?

5. What policies are you committed to help achieve  (reduction of emissions,  transitions of behaviors and technologies, adaptation, resiliency, etc.)?

6. Is climate change of special concern for your State?  Why?   What effects are we seeing? Which of your constituents are most vulnerable?

   • o   Sea level rise, flooding and extreme precipitation

   • o   Increased hurricane threat (number and intensity)

   • o   Extreme heat and humidity

   • o   Spread of disease

   • o   Water quality

   • o   Tourism impacts

7. Can we afford to address climate change? 

8. What are the opportunities created by addressing climate change?  What are the adverse impacts, if any?

9. Are we as a country doing enough to address climate change? What should we be doing differently?

10. Economists overwhelmingly support putting a price on carbon as the fairest and most effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Are you familiar with carbon pricing policies? Would you support a carbon price to reduce carbon emissions?

11. How important is it to you to address climate change? Where does climate change fall in your priorities as a legislator?

12. Should your State bear any responsibility globally to reduce greenhouse gasses it currently emits?  If yes, what form should that take?

13. Do you support the administration’s actions on climate change? What would you do differently, if anything?

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