No Answers, No Solutions: The Absence of Climate Commitment in Trump-Harris Debate

After the 90-minute presidential debate on Tuesday between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris there are many topics and stances discussed between the two candidates. However, a topic that was left out of discussion was environmental issues, but not by choice of the moderators. 

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When the final question of the debate was focused on the candidates environmental standpoint and what they will do to combat climate change, neither gave a concrete answer. 

Harris, when asked, acknowledged the problem and criticized Trump for calling the phenomenon a “hoax.” She then followed it by stating “it is a real issue,” but gave no solutions or plan of action if she was elected into office. She also strangely emphasized that working under President Joe Biden, that gas production is the highest it has ever been, which is a leading cause in climate change. Last year, the United States joined other nations in the UN to pledge to transition away from these non renewable resources, such as oil and gas. 

However, Harris bringing this up seemed contradictory to her statements earlier in the debate about developing more oil and gas and how it is a key to national security. 

Trump, on the other hand, had a slightly different approach to answer the final question of the night - he didn’t. Trump instead insulted Harris over her stand point on hydraulic fracking of fracking, which is the process of obtaining gas, by pumping things like water and chemicals and at a high pressure underground. He stated that if she was elected she would ban it 

“She will never allow fracking in Pennsylvania if she won the election,” Mr. Trump said. “If she won the election, the day after that election, they’ll go back to destroying our country and oil will be dead, fossil fuel will be dead.”

The result of the presidential election could have a major outcome on the production of greenhouse gasses and in consequence, climate change. However, with both candidates disappointing answers or avoidance of the question during the debate, it sparks the realization that there needs to be more prioritization of this issue before it is too late.