The Debates Are Over, And No One Asked About Climate Change

Despite the fact that the world has endured 16 consecutive months of record-breaking heat, not one of the debate moderators saw fit to ask about it in any of 2016’s general election debates. (Image: Fair.org)
Despite the fact that the world has endured 16 consecutive months of record-breaking heat, not one of the debate moderators saw fit to ask about it in any of 2016’s general election debates. (Image: Fair.org)

From campaign finance reform to gun violence to poverty to education to LGBTQ rights,lots of important subjects were ignored by corporate media debate moderators in the presidential (and vice-presidential) debates. All of these topics are urgent and deserve a spotlight on the national stage. But one topic stands out as a non-factor: climate change.

Climate change—or, more accurately, climate disruption—is the greatest existential threat of our time. It threatens the economy, national security and health, exacerbates povertyand racism, and threatens to undermine or compound virtually all other issues discussed on the stage tonight.

Scientists say that burning the oil, coal and gas in currently operating fields would warm the Earth by more than 2 degrees Celsius, considered (probably optimistically) to be the limit of catastrophic change (New Republic, 9/22/16). That means that to avoid global disaster, the only appropriate response is to conduct no further digging or drilling at all. To transition to a post-fossil fuel future is a monumental endeavor with lots of pieces we need to talk about. Elite media’s evident notion that they can whistle past it—as thousands of people put their lives on the line in Standing Rock, as the Wayuu disappear—is the height of irresponsibility.

Despite this, and despite the fact that the world has endured 16 consecutive months ofrecord-breaking heat, not one of the debate moderators saw fit to ask about it in any of 2016’s general election debates.

Making this omission even worse: In the 2012 presidential debates, there were zero questions about climate change as well. Indeed, it was not even mentioned by either Mitt Romney or President Barack Obama. In over eight hours of presidential debates spanning four years, there were only four utterances of the term “climate change” on the most important political stage. All by Hillary Clinton, all in passing. All entirely unsolicited.

Adam Johnson is an associate editor at AlterNet and writes frequently for FAIR.org. Follow him on Twitter at @adamjohnsonnyc.

© 2016 Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)

First published in Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)

Support Countercurrents

Countercurrents is answerable only to our readers. Support honest journalism because we have no PLANET B.
Become a Patron at Patreon

Join Our Newsletter

GET COUNTERCURRENTS DAILY NEWSLETTER STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Join our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels

Get CounterCurrents updates on our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels

Related Posts

Climate Agreements Suck

Climate agreements suck. There are no real enforcement provisions. Many signatories cheat. Some don’t rep0rt at all. Moreover, reported data is highly suspect. It’s a worldwide scandal recently exposed by…

A Slow-Motion World War III?

I’ve been describing this world of ours, such as it is, for almost 23 years at TomDispatch. I’ve written my way through three-and-a-half presidencies — god save us, it could be…

CO2 Bursting into the Atmosphere

CO2 is bursting into the atmosphere like never before, up and away, like it has wings. According to climate scientists, we’re fast approaching white-knuckle time. This reinforces the outlook for…

Join Our Newsletter


Annual Subscription

Join Countercurrents Annual Fund Raising Campaign and help us

Latest News