Public policy made simple. Dive into ourinformation hub today!

Environmental policy disputes in the 2016 elections

From Ballotpedia


ENVIRONMENT POLICY-Masthead.png

Ballotpedia's
Election Analysis
FEDERAL
Battleground elections:
U.S. Senate •U.S. House
STATE
State legislatures •Gubernatorial
State Attorney General
LOCAL
Municipal •School boards
Local courts •Local measures
PUBLIC POLICY
Budget •Education •Election •Energy •Healthcare •Environment
Terms and Concepts
Partisan Risk

This page summarizes some of the key environmental policy issues debated in 2016, as well as the stances of political parties and presidential candidates on these issues. In addition, this page identifies relevant state and local ballot measures.Click on the tabs below to learn more.

Contents

Major issues

Ballotpedia identified the following four environmental policy issues in the 2016 election:

Summary

Watch Ballotpedia's webinar on environmental policy conflicts in the 2016 election.

Much of the debate over environmental policy in the election was centered on the EPA's activities under theObama administration. Beginning in 2009, the Obama EPA took regulatory action in three areas:climate change, air quality, and water quality.

The table below shows how each state stood on the three EPA regulatory actions that were challenged in court: theClean Power Plan, theWaters of the United States rule, andmercury and air toxics standards for power plants. These states either filed or joined lawsuits challenging the regulations or filed petitions in support of the regulations, while other states had not taken an official position.[1][2][3][4]

Support for and opposition to EPA regulations challenged in federal court (as of November 2016)
StateClean Power PlanWaters of the United States ruleMercury standards
AlabamaOpposedOpposedOpposed
AlaskaNo stanceOpposedOpposed
ArizonaOpposedOpposedOpposed
ArkansasOpposedOpposedOpposed
CaliforniaSupportedNo stanceSupported
ColoradoOpposedOpposedNo stance
ConnecticutSupportedSupportedSupported
DelawareSupportedNo stanceSupported
FloridaOpposedOpposedNo stance
GeorgiaOpposedOpposedNo stance
HawaiiSupportedSupportedNo stance
IdahoNo stanceOpposedOpposed
IllinoisSupportedNo stanceSupported
IndianaOpposedOpposedOpposed
IowaSupportedNo stanceSplit stance
KansasOpposedOpposedOpposed
KentuckyOpposedOpposedOpposed
LouisianaOpposedOpposedNo stance
MaineSupportedNo stanceSupported
MarylandSupportedNo stanceSupported
MassachusettsSupportedSupportedSupported
MichiganOpposedOpposedOpposed
MinnesotaSupportedNo stanceSupported
MississippiOpposedOpposedOpposed
MissouriOpposedOpposedOpposed
MontanaOpposedOpposedNo stance
NebraskaOpposedOpposedOpposed
NevadaNo stanceOpposedNo stance
New HampshireSupportedNo stanceSupported
New JerseyOpposedNo stanceNo stance
New MexicoSupportedOpposedSupported
New YorkSupportedSupportedSupported
North CarolinaOpposedOpposedSupported
North DakotaOpposedOpposedOpposed
OhioOpposedOpposedOpposed
OklahomaOpposedOpposedOpposed
OregonSupportedSupportedSupported
PennsylvaniaNo stanceNo stanceNo stance
Rhode IslandSupportedNo stanceSupported
South CarolinaOpposedOpposedOpposed
South DakotaOpposedOpposedNo stance
TennesseeNo stanceOpposedNo stance
TexasOpposedOpposedOpposed
UtahOpposedOpposedOpposed
VermontSupportedSupportedSupported
VirginiaSupportedNo stanceNo stance
WashingtonSupportedSupportedNo stance
West VirginiaOpposedOpposedOpposed
WisconsinOpposedOpposedNo stance
WyomingOpposedOpposedOpposed

Climate change

Climate change refers to a significant change in surface and ocean temperatures, precipitation, storm and wind patterns, and other phenomena, usually over a long period of time. Natural activity, such as volcanoes and oceans, as well as human activity, particularly the use ofoil andcoal, releasescarbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These naturally occurring gases trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the planet. Some scientists have argued that human-caused greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached concentrations higher than those that would occur naturally. These scientists have argued that these gases contribute to global warming and subsequent climate change. Some scientists have argued that the effects of human-made global warming over the next century could lead to higher sea levels, stronger and more frequent weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts, melting of polar ice caps, more acidic oceans, and increased flooding. Other scientists have argued that computer models showing the impact of human activity on climate change may not accurately represent all aspects of global climate and that the precise impact of human-generated greenhouse gases on climate change is not easily calculated, given other potential contributors to climate change, such as solar activity, and the absorption of greenhouse gases by forests and plants.[5][6]

Climate change has been a major policy issue since the early 1990s, particularly with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty that committed signatory countries to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to mitigate the potential impacts of human-made climate change. Since the 1990s, climate change has become a partisan issue, as it raises questions about the role of government, the short- and long-term costs and benefits of immediate government action, and how best to balance affordable energy and economic growth with environmental protection and public health. Climate change policies have focused primarily on reducinggreenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector, especially in power plants that useoil andcoal, and the transportation sector. Other policies have focused on incentives or subsidies forrenewable energy sources, such assolar andwind power, which produce fewer emissions.[7][8][9]

Clean Power Plan

The outcome of the 2016 election stood to affect theObama administration's major regulatory action onclimate change—theClean Power Plan. The plan's goal was to reducecarbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fromcoal- andoil-fired power plants ("fossil fuel-fired") andnatural gas-fired power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2030. Each state was required to meet goals based on the number of fossil fuel- and natural gas-fired plants in the state. As of November 2016, 27 states had challenged the plan's legality in court, while 18 states had filed briefs in support of it.[10][11][12]

The map below shows each state's stance. States in light purple opposed the rule, states in dark purple supported the rule, and states in gray had not joined a lawsuit. States that were listed as opposing the plan were identified as such because they either filed a lawsuit or joined a lawsuit against the plan. Supporting states were those that joined a lawsuit or filed their own suit supporting the implementation of the rule.[13]

Opposition and support for the Clean Power Plan
States colored light purple opposed the rule, states colored dark purple supported the rule, and states in gray had not joined a lawsuit as of November 2016.

In February 2016, the plan's challengers succeeded in temporarily halting its implementation pending the outcome of the legal challenge. By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court delayed further EPA action, pending a hearing and ruling by theU.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which heard the case in September 2016.

Federal water policy

In May 2015, the Obama administration expanded federal water policy to include previously unregulated bodies of water. The rule—commonly known asWaters of the United States rule—expanded the EPA's authority under theClean Water Act overwetlands, streams, tributaries, and other waters in order to protect downstream water quality. Federal permits were required for any private individual, group, or business whose activities could affect these waters. Like the Clean Power Plan, the rule was a partisan issue.[14][15][16][17]

The debate centered on how the rule would increase the power and jurisdiction of the federal government over water. The Obama EPA argued that the plan would increase the number of regulated waters by 3 percent and cost between $162 million and $279 million per year. The rule's supporters argued that it would protect water quality and clarify which bodies of water should be regulated under theClean Water Act. The rule's opponents argued that it would increase the EPA's power over water and negatively impact property rights, thereby increasing building costs and hindering business growth.[18][19][20][21]

The rule was also challenged in federal court. In October 2015, theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit blocked the rule's implementation temporarily to decide whether the rule was permissible under federal law. At least 31 states challenged the rule in federal court.[4][22][23]

Opposition and support for the Waters of the United States rule
States colored orange sued the federal government over the rule; states colored purple indicated their support for the rule in federal court, and states in white had not taken an official position.

Drinking water

States and localities face the challenge of improving water infrastructure to maintain water quality while keeping costs affordable.

After thedrinking water crisis inFlint, Michigan, which emerged in late 2015 and early 2016, much attention was paid to the issue of ensuring drinking water quality in the coming decades. Policymakers were faced with the need to repair deteriorating infrastructure in order to maintain water quality, as well as the challenge of keeping those reforms affordable. Estimates varied on the total costs of water system infrastructure needs. The American Water Works Association found that the United States had around 6.1 million lead water lines, although difficulties with record keeping made estimates difficult to calculate. According to the EPA's 2013 national assessment, water infrastructure was in need of $384.2 billion during the 20-year period between 2011 and 2030 in order for water systems to "continue to provide safe drinking water to the public."[24][25][26]

According to theCongressional Budget Office, federal, state, and local government spending on water utilities—water supply and wastewater treatment facilities—totaled $108.9 billion in 2014. This was 26 percent of all federal, state, and local government spending on transportation and water infrastructure, which totaled $416 billion in 2014. Nearly 96 percent of public spending on water utilities—$104.5 billion—came from state and local governments in 2014. Water utilities accounted for 33 percent of state and local government spending in 2014.[27]

The chart below shows federal spending on water utilities compared to state and local spending between 1965 and 2014. After 1965, federal spending on water utilities peaked in 1977 at $16.8 billion and steadily declined to $4.36 billion in 2014—a decrease of 74 percent. By contrast, state and local spending grew steadily after 1977, rising from $38.22 billion to $105.4 billion in 2014—an increase of 175 percent.[27]

Mercury andozone standards

The EPA under the Obama administration made federal standards formercury emissions andground-level ozone more restrictive. Mercury standards targeted hazardous pollutants from about 585coal andoil-fired power plants nationwide. As of 2016, the total cost to the power plant sector was estimated at $9.6 billion each year. Ozone standards covered statewide air quality, establishing the acceptable amount of ground-levelozone—commonly known as smog—in the atmosphere, which is formed from the emissions of automobiles, power plants, factories, and manufacturing centers. In 2015, the EPA made the ozone standards more restrictive. They were expected to take effect in 2025, with states having until between 2020 and 2037 to create and establish plans to meet the federal standards.[28][29][30][31]

Federal land policy

In 2012, Utah was one of the first states that passed legislation calling for the transfer of federal land to state ownership.

The size and management of federal land was a major issue in 2016, particularly in Western states, where the majority of federal land is located. Federal land policy generally involves theconservation and management ofnatural resources. Four federal agencies are responsible for 609-610 million acres of federal land, or around 26 percent of all land in the United States. Federal lands are used for conservation, recreation, wildlife protection,grazing,energy production, and other purposes. Ten Western state legislatures looked into the issue of federal land transfers to state governments between 2012 and 2016. Those states argued that vast tracts of federal land put them at an economic disadvantage and left them without control over how those lands were used.[32]

At the 2016Republican National Convention, theRepublican platform committee voted in favor of a provision calling on Congress to pass national legislation that would transfer specific federal lands to state governments to be included in the party's 2016 platform. The provision did not define which federal lands would be included.[33]

Land management policies were debated for their economic, environmental, and social impacts. Risingmaintenance costs for federally owned areas sparked debate over the appropriate level of funding for federal land management. Additionally, the size of the federal government's land holdings and itsacquisition of additional lands, particularly in the Western United States, were major issues due to their potential impact on state governments and private individuals.[32][34]

As of November 2016, 10 Western state legislatures looked into the issue of federal land transfers. These states includedArizona,Colorado,Idaho,Montana,Nevada,New Mexico,Oregon,Utah,Washington, andWyoming.[35]

The map below shows the percentage of federal land in each state.Alaska had the most federal land (223.8 million acres) whileNevada had the greatest percentage of federal land within a state (84.9 percent). In contrast,Rhode Island andConnecticut had the fewest acres of federal land: 5,157 acres and 8,752 acres, respectively. Connecticut andIowa tied for the lowest percentage of federal land at 0.3 percent each.[32]

Percentage of land owned by the federal land in each state (as of 2013)

Endangered species

The federalEndangered Species Act (ESA) mandates a list ofendangered and threatened species and their protection. The legislation is meant to prevent the extinction of vulnerable species throughout the United States and torecover a species' population throughconservation programs. TheU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the law'simplementation. In 2016, there was debate over the proper balance between governmental protection of vulnerable species and the protection ofprivate property rights. Other debated policy issues included the role ofscience, thecosts of listing a species as protected, and thetransparency of endangered species policy decisions. Republicans supported revisions to the ESA, while Democrats supported the ESA's implementation without revisions.[31][36]

The map below shows the number of species protected under theEndangered Species Act in each state as of May 2016. The United States had 2,389 species listed under the Endangered Species Act as of May 2016 (this includes the 50 states and does not include species listed in U.S. territories).[37]

Hawaii,California,Alabama,Florida, andTexas had the largest number of federally listed species.Vermont,Rhode Island,Delaware,New Hampshire, andNorth Dakota had the fewest federally listed species.[37]

Number of species protected under the Endangered Species Act by state (as of May 2016)


National races

Democratic Party Democratic Party

TheDemocratic Party adopted its 2016 platform at theDemocratic National Convention in July 2016.[38]

The 2016 Democratic Party Platform on environmental policy
“COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY, AND SECURE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Climate change is an urgent threat and a defining challenge of our time. Fifteen of the hottest yearson record have occurred this century. While Donald Trump has called climate change a “hoax,” 2016is on track to break global temperature records once more. Cities from Miami to Baltimore are alreadythreatened by rising seas. California and the West have suffered years of brutal drought. Alaska has beenscorched by wildfire. New York has been battered by superstorms, and Texas swamped by flash floods. Thebest science tells us that without ambitious, immediate action across our economy to cut carbon pollutionand other greenhouse gases, all of these impacts will be far worse in the future. We cannot leave ourchildren a planet that has been profoundly damaged.

Democrats share a deep commitment to tackling the climate challenge; creating millions of good-payingmiddle class jobs; reducing greenhouse gas emissions more than 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050;and meeting the pledge President Obama put forward in the landmark Paris Agreement, which aims tokeep global temperature increases to “well below” two degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit globaltemperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We believe America must be running entirely on cleanenergy by mid-century. We will take bold steps to slash carbon pollution and protect clean air at home, leadthe fight against climate change around the world, ensure no Americans are left out or left behind as weaccelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, and be responsible stewards of our natural resourcesand our public lands and waters. Democrats reject the notion that we have to choose between protectingour planet and creating good-paying jobs. We can and we will do both.

Building a Clean Energy Economy
We are committed to getting 50 percent of our electricity from clean energy sources within a decade,with half a billion solar panels installed within four years and enough renewable energy to power everyhome in the country. We will cut energy waste in American homes, schools, hospitals, and offices throughenergy efficient improvements; modernize our electric grid; and make American manufacturing thecleanest and most efficient in the world. These efforts will create millions of new jobs and save familiesand businesses money on their monthly energy bills. We will transform American transportation byreducing oil consumption through cleaner fuels, vehicle electrification increasing the fuel efficiency ofcars, boilers, ships, and trucks. We will make new investments in public transportation and build bicycleand pedestrian infrastructure across our urban and suburban areas. Democrats believe the tax code must reflect our commitment to a clean energy future by eliminating special tax breaks and subsidies for fossilfuel companies as well as defending and extending tax incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy.

Democrats believe that carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases should be priced to reflecttheir negative externalities, and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy and help meetour climate goals. Democrats believe that climate change is too important to wait for climate deniersand defeatists in Congress to start listening to science, and support using every tool available to reduceemissions now. Democrats are committed to defending, implementing, and extending smart pollution andefficiency standards, including the Clean Power Plan, fuel economy standards for automobiles and heavyduty vehicles, building codes and appliance standards. We are also committed to expanding clean energyresearch and development.

Democrats recognize the importance of climate leadership at the local level and know that achieving ournational clean energy goals requires an active partnership with states, cities, and rural communities whereso much of our country’s energy policy is made. We will ensure that those taking the lead on clean energyand energy efficiency have the tools and resources they need to succeed. The federal government shouldlead by example, which is why we support taking steps to power the government with 100 percent cleanelectricity.

Democrats are committed to closing the Halliburton loophole that stripped the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) of its ability to regulate hydraulic fracturing, and ensuring tough safeguards are in place,including Safe Drinking Water Act provisions, to protect local water supplies. We believe hydraulicfracturing should not take place where states and local communities oppose it. We will reduce methaneemissions from all oil and gas production and transportation by at least 40 to 45 percent below 2005levels by 2025 through common-sense standards for both new and existing sources and by repairing andreplacing thousands of miles of leaky pipes. This will both protect our climate and create thousands ofgood-paying jobs.

We will work to expand access to cost-saving renewable energy by low-income households, create goodpaying jobs in communities that have struggled with energy poverty, and oppose efforts by utilities to limitconsumer choice or slow clean energy deployment. We will streamline federal permitting to accelerate theconstruction of new transmission lines to get low-cost renewable energy to market, and incentivize wind,solar, and other renewable energy over the development of new natural gas power plants.

We support President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. As we continue working toreduce carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas emissions, we must ensure federal actions donot “significantly exacerbate” global warming. We support a comprehensive approach that ensures allfederal decisions going forward contribute to solving, not significantly exacerbating, climate change.

Democrats believe that our commitment to meeting the climate challenge must also be reflected in theinfrastructure investments we make. We need to make our existing infrastructure safer and cleanerand build the new infrastructure necessary to power our clean energy future. To create good-payingmiddle class jobs that cannot be outsourced, Democrats support high labor standards in clean energyinfrastructure and the right to form or join a union, whether in renewable power or advanced vehiclemanufacturing. During the clean energy transition, we will ensure landowners, communities of color,and tribal nations are at the table.

Securing Environmental and Climate Justice
Democrats believe clean air and clean water are basic rights of all Americans. Yet as we saw in Flint,Michigan, low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately home toenvironmental justice “hot spots,” where air pollution, water pollution, and toxic hazards like lead increasehealth and economic hardship. The impacts of climate change will also disproportionately affect lowincome and minority communities, tribal nations, and Alaska Native villages—all of which suffer the worstlosses during extreme weather and have the fewest resources to prepare. Simply put, this is environmentalracism.

Democrats believe we must make it a national priority to eradicate lead poisoning, whichdisproportionately impacts low-income children and children of color and can lead to lifelong health andeducational challenges. We will prioritize hiring and training workers from affected communities to cleanup toxic brownfields and expand clean energy, energy efficiency, and resilient infrastructure.

The fight against climate change must not leave any community out or behind—including the coalcommunities who kept America’s lights on for generations. Democrats will fight to make sure theseworkers and their families get the benefits they have earned and the respect they deserve, and we willmake new investments in energy-producing communities to help create jobs and build a brighter and moreresilient economic future. We will also oppose threats to the public health of these communities fromharmful and dangerous extraction practices, like mountaintop removal mining operations.

All corporations owe it to their shareholders to fully analyze and disclose the risks they face, includingclimate risk. Those who fail to do so should be held accountable. Democrats also respectfully request theDepartment of Justice to investigate allegations of corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companiesaccused of misleading shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change.

Protecting Our Public Lands and Waters
Democrats believe in the conservation and collaborative stewardship of our shared natural heritage: thepublic lands and waterways, the oceans, Everglades, Great Lakes, the Arctic, and all that makes America’sgreat outdoors priceless. As a nation, we need policies and investments that will keep America’s publiclands public, strengthen protections for our natural and cultural resources, increase access to parks andpublic lands for all Americans, protect native species and wildlife, and harness the immense economic andsocial potential of our public lands and waters.

Democrats will work to establish an American Parks Trust Fund to help expand local, state, and nationalrecreational opportunities, rehabilitate existing parks, and enhance America’s great outdoors—from ourforests and coasts to neighborhood parks—so “America’s Best Idea” is held in trust for future generations,and all Americans can access and enjoy natural spaces. Democrats are committed to doubling the size ofthe outdoor economy, creating nearly hundreds of billions of dollars in new economic activity and millionsof new jobs.

Democrats will approach conservation of our public lands and waters in a way that reflects the diversityof our country, by actively engaging all Americans in the great outdoors and protecting natural landscapesand cultural sites that tell the story of America’s complex history. To help meet these goals, we will work tobuild a diverse workforce in agencies that manage America’s public lands, waters, and cultural sites.

We oppose drilling in the Arctic and off the Atlantic coast, and believe we need to reform fossil fuel leasingon public lands. We will phase down extraction of fossil fuels from our public lands, starting with themost polluting sources, while making our public lands and waters engines of the clean energy economyand creating jobs across the country. Democrats will work to expand the amount of renewable energyproduction on federal lands and waters, from wind in Wyoming to solar in Nevada.Democrats oppose efforts to undermine the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act to protectthreatened and endangered species.

Because the Bristol Bay drainages of Alaska produce the world’s largest salmon fisheries, we support effortsby the EPA under the Clean Water Act to establish proactively science-based restrictions on discharges ofdredged or fill material associated with a potential Pebble mine and urge that such restrictions must applyto potential mines at other metallic sulfide deposits in those drainages.

Agricultural lands account for nearly half of the total land area in America and our agricultural practiceshave a significant impact on our water, land, oceans, and the climate. Therefore, we believe that in order tobe effective in keeping our air and water clean and combating climate change, we must enlist farmers aspartners in promoting conservation and stewardship.[38][39]

”

Republican Party Republican Party

TheRepublican Party adopted its 2016 platform at theRepublican National Convention in July 2016.[40]

The 2016 Republican Party Platform on environmental policy
“Environmental Progress

Conservation is inherent in conservatism. Asthe pioneer of environmentalism a century ago, theRepublican Party reaffirms the moral obligation tobe good stewards of the God-given natural beautyand resources of our country. We believe that peopleare the most valuable resources and that humanhealth and safety are the proper measurements ofa policy’s success. We assert that private ownershiphas been the best guarantee of conscientiousstewardship, while some of the worst instancesof degradation have occurred under governmentcontrol. Poverty, not wealth, is the gravest threatto the environment, while steady economic growthbrings the technological advances which makeenvironmental progress possible.

The environment is too important to be left toradical environmentalists. They are using yesterday’stools to control a future they do not comprehend.The environmental establishment has become aself-serving elite, stuck in the mindset of the 1970s,subordinating the public’s consensus to the goalsof the Democratic Party. Their approach is basedon shoddy science, scare tactics, and centralizedcommand-and-control regulation. Over the lasteight years, the Administration has triggered anavalanche of regulation that wreaks havoc acrossour economy and yields minimal environmentalbenefits.

The central fact of any sensible environmentalpolicy is that, year by year, the environment isimproving. Our air and waterways are muchhealthier than they were a few decades ago. Asa nation, we have drastically reduced pollution,mainstreamed recycling, educated the public,and avoided ecological degradation. Even if noadditional controls are added, air pollution willcontinue to decline for the next several decadesdue to technological turnover of aging equipment.These successes become a challenge for DemocraticParty environmental extremists, who must reachfarther and demand more to sustain the illusion ofan environmental crisis. That is why they routinelyignore costs, exaggerate benefits, and advocate thebreaching of constitutional boundaries by federalagencies to impose environmental regulation. At thesame time, the environmental establishment looksthe other way when environmental degradation iscaused by the EPA and other federal agencies aswas the case during the Animas River spill.

Our agenda is high on job creation, expandingopportunity and providing a better chance at lifefor everyone willing to work for it. Our modernapproach to environmentalism is directed to thatend, and it starts with dramatic change in officialWashington. We propose to shift responsibilityfor environmental regulation from the federalbureaucracy to the states and to transform theEPA into an independent bipartisan commission,similar to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, withstructural safeguards against politicized science.We will strictly limit congressional delegation ofrule-making authority, and require that citizens becompensated for regulatory takings.

We will put an end to the legal practice knownas “sue and settle,” in which environmental groupssue federal agencies whose officials are complicit inthe litigation so that, with the taxpayers excluded,both parties can reach agreement behind closeddoors. That deceit betrays the public’s trust; it willno longer be tolerated. We will also reform the EqualAccess to Justice Act to cap and disclose paymentsmade to environmental activists and return the Actto its original intent.

We will enforce the original intent of the CleanWater Act, not it’s distortion by EPA regulations.We will likewise forbid the EPA to regulate carbondioxide, something never envisioned when Congresspassed the Clean Air Act. We will restore toCongress the authority to set the National AmbientAir Quality Standards and modernize the permittingprocess under the National Environmental PolicyAct so it can no longer invite frivolous lawsuits,thwart sorely needed projects, kill jobs, and stranglegrowth.

The federal government owns or controls over640 million acres of land in the United States, most ofwhich is in the West. These are public lands, and thepublic should have access to them for appropriateactivities like hunting, fishing, and recreationalshooting. Federal ownership or management of landalso places an economic burden on counties andlocal communities in terms of lost revenue to payfor things such as schools, police, and emergencyservices. It is absurd to think that all that acreagemust remain under the absentee ownership ormanagement of official Washington. Congress shallimmediately pass universal legislation providing fora timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federalgovernment to convey certain federally controlledpublic lands to states. We call upon all nationaland state leaders and representatives to exert theirutmost power and influence to urge the transfer ofthose lands, identified in the review process, to allwilling states for the benefit of the states and thenation as a whole. The residents of state and localcommunities know best how to protect the landwhere they work and live. They practice boots-on-the-ground conservation in their states every day.We support amending the Antiquities Act of 1906 toestablish Congress’ right to approve the designationof national monuments and to further require theapproval of the state where a national monument isdesignated or a national park is proposed.

There is certainly a need to protect certainspecies threatened worldwide with extinction.However, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) shouldnot include species such as gray wolves and otherspecies if these species exist elsewhere in healthynumbers in another state or country. To upset theeconomic viability of an area with an unneededdesignation costs jobs and hurts local communities.We must ensure that this protection is doneeffectively, reasonably, and without unnecessarilyimpeding the development of lands and naturalresources. The ESA should ensure that the listingof endangered species and the designation ofcritical habitats are based upon sound science andbalance the protection of endangered species withthe costs of compliance and the rights of propertyowners. Instead, over the last few decades, theESA has stunted economic development, halted theconstruction of projects, burdened landowners, andhas been used to pursue policy goals inconsistentwith the ESA — all with little to no success in theactual recovery of species. For example, we opposethe listing of the lesser prairie chicken and thepotential listing of the sage grouse. Neither specieshas been shown to be in actual danger and thelistings threaten to devastate farmers, ranchers, andoil and gas production. While species threatenedwith extinction must be protected under the ESA,any such protection must be done in a reasonableand transparent manner with stakeholder input andin consideration of the impact on the developmentof lands and natural resources.

Information concerning a changing climate,especially projections into the long-range future,must be based on dispassionate analysis of harddata. We will enforce that standard throughoutthe executive branch, among civil servants andpresidential appointees alike. The United Nations’Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is apolitical mechanism, not an unbiased scientificinstitution. Its unreliability is reflected in itsintolerance toward scientists and others whodissent from its orthodoxy. We will evaluate itsrecommendations accordingly. We reject theagendas of both the Kyoto Protocol and the ParisAgreement, which represent only the personalcommitments of their signatories; no suchagreement can be binding upon the United Statesuntil it is submitted to and ratified by the Senate.

We demand an immediate halt to U.S. fundingfor the U.N.’s Framework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC) in accordance with the 1994Foreign Relations Authorization Act. That law prohibits Washington from giving any money to “anyaffiliated organization of the United Nations” whichgrants Palestinians membership as a state. There isno ambiguity in that language. It would be illegalfor the President to follow through on his intentionto provide millions in funding for the UNFCCC andhundreds of millions for its Green Climate Fund.

We firmly believe environmental problemsare best solved by giving incentives for humaningenuity and the development of new technologies,not through top-down, command-and-controlregulations that stifle economic growth and costthousands of jobs.[40][39]

”

Libertarian Party Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party adopted its 2016 platform at the Libertarian National Convention in May 2016.

The 2016 Libertarian Party Platform on environmental policy
“

Competitive free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems. Private landowners and conservation groups have a vested interest in maintaining natural resources. Governments are unaccountable for damage done to our environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection. Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights and responsibilities regarding resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Where damages can be proven and quantified in a court of law, restitution to the injured parties must be required.[41][39]

”

Green Party Green Party

The Green Party National Committee adopted its 2016 platform in August 2016. The platform's introduction to the section on environmental policy and the section on climate change can be viewed by clicking "show" in the box below.

The 2016 Green Party Platform on environmental policy
“Ecological Sustainability

The human community is an element of the Earth community, not the other way around. All human endeavors are situated within the dynamics of the biosphere. If we wish to have sustainable institutions and enterprises, they must fit well with the processes of the Earth. The ideology of industrialism, in both capitalist and communist countries, insists that modern society lives on top of nature and should rightly use and despoil the rest of the natural world as we desire— because any loss of the ecosystems is merely an "externality" in economic thought and because any problems can be addressed later by a technological fix. We are now living through the painful consequences of that arrogant, ignorant perspective. Many of our children suffer from accumulations of mercury and other toxins in their neurological systems, environmentally related cancer is on the rise, and our air and water are increasingly polluted. Meanwhile, our ecosystems are being compromised by the spreading presence of genetically engineered organisms.

Our houses and buildings, manufacturing processes, and industrial agriculture were all designed with the assumption of an endless supply of cheap and readily available fossil fuels. Pollution and despoiling the land were not part of the thinking. The Green Party, however, is optimistic about the alternatives that now exist and that could be encouraged through tax policy and the market incentives of fuel efficiency. We also challenge the grip of the oil, automotive, and automobile insurance industries that have managed to block or roll back progress in public mass transit. The gutting of subsidies for the railroads has meant not only fewer passenger routes but also the addition of thousands of large freight trucks on our highways, decreasing public safety and increasing pollution. We are committed to extending the greening of waste management by encouraging the spread of such practices as reduce, return, reuse, and recycle. We strongly oppose the recent attempts to roll back the federal environmental protection laws that safeguard our air, water, and soil.

The health of the life-support systems— the ecosystems on our continent — is of paramount importance. Inherent in the efficient dynamics of those ecosystems is a vital profusion of biodiversity. Therefore, the Greens call for a halt to the destruction of habitats, which are being sacrificed to unqualified economic expansion. We humans have a moral responsibility to all of our relations, many of which are facing extinction because we carelessly and permanently halt their long evolutionary journey.

The Green Party also supports the spread of organic agriculture and the careful tending of our nation's precious remaining topsoil. We support planetary efforts to slow the ever-increasing numbers of humans pressuring the ecosystems, and we especially support the reduction of consumption of the world's raw materials by the industrialized Northern Hemisphere. We are appalled by our country's withdrawal from serious efforts to limit greenhouse gases that are contributing mightily to global climate disruption. The Green Party strongly urges the United States to adopt an actively responsible position in this crisis and to take significant action to address the problem.

A. Climate Change

OUR POSITION

Greens want to stop runaway climate change, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions at least 40% by 2020 and 95% by 2050, over 1990 levels.

Climate change is the gravest environmental, social and economic peril that humanity has ever met. Across the world, it is causing vanishing polar ice, melting glaciers, growing deserts, stronger storms, rising oceans, less biodiversity, deepening droughts, as well as more disease, hunger, strife and human misery. It is a tragedy unfolding in slow motion.

Greenhouse gases warm the Earth by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Much of that heat is initially absorbed by the ocean, creating roughly a 30-year delay in the impact of that heat at the surface of the planet. Practically speaking, that means that the melting glaciers and expanding deserts of 2009 were the result of greenhouse gases dumped into the atmosphere in the late 1970s, when the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was below 350 parts per million (ppm). To return to a safe level of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, we must reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases as quickly as possible to levels that existed before 1980, to 350ppm carbon dioxide.

Greens support science-based policies to curb climate change. We have an ambitious plan to make drastic changes quickly to avert global catastrophe. We will expend maximum effort to preserve a planet friendly to life as we know it by curtailing greenhouse gas emissions and actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

GREEN SOLUTIONS

1. Strong International Climate Treaty

The climate treaty reached in Paris in December, 2015 is inadequate to address the climate change crisis.

The 195 nations involved pledged to reduce greenhouse gases. The pledges are not mandatory, however. The treaty does not require the phase out of fossil fuels, and it delays higher aid levels for poorer nations until 2025.

We call for legally binding commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2020 and a 95% reduction by 2050 over 1990 levels. We also call for the immediate assumption of responsibility by wealthy nations to financially assist poorer countries struggling with the effects of climate change.

2. Economic Policy For A Safer Climate

Enact a Fee & Dividend system on fossil fuels to enable the free market to include the environmental costs of their extraction and use. These fees shall be applied as far upstream as possible, either when fuel passes from extraction to refining, distribution or consumption; or when it first enters the United States' jurisdiction. The carbon fee will initially be small, a dime per kilogram of carbon, to avoid creating a shock to the economy. The fee will be increased by 10% each year that global atmospheric carbon dioxide content is greater than 350 ppm, decreased 10% each year it's less than 300 ppm, and repealed entirely when it falls below 250 ppm.

Although imported fossil fuel has no more impact on global climate change than domestic, importing petroleum and natural gas has a catastrophic impact on American foreign policy and the American economy. We will enact this same fee on imported fossil fuels a second time to give the free market an incentive to wean America off foreign oil and gas.

The Green Party calls for elimination of subsidies for fossil fuels, nuclear power, biomass and waste incineration and biofuels. We must also acknowledge that the bulk of our military budget is, in fact, an indirect subsidy for oil & gas corporations.

To prevent perverse incentives arising from higher carbon prices, the Green Party mandates clean fuels in addition to pricing carbon. Otherwise dirty energy sources like nuclear power, biomass and biofuels that are not subject to carbon pricing will become economically competitive.

3. Repay Our Climate Debt

Pay for adaptation to climate change in countries with less responsibility for climate change.

Provide a carbon neutral development path for those countries that can no longer be permitted to develop in the same way we did—by burning cheap fossil fuels.

4. More Efficiency And Conservation

Adopt energy efficiency standards that reduce energy demand economy-wide by 50% over the next 20–30 years. The U.S. can make massive reductions in its energy use through a combination of conservation and efficiency measures. We don't actually need any additional power. Instead, we can and should reduce our consumption of power.

Build an efficient, low cost public transportation system. The best incentive we can provide to live closer to work and reduce the use of private vehicles is to make the alternative inexpensive and convenient to use.

Adopt a national zero waste policy. The less we consume and throw away, the less we will need to produce and replace.

5. Clean, Green Energy and Jobs

Create an inclusive program to train workers for the new, clean energy economy. Focusing on both the environment and social justice, prioritize the creation of green jobs in communities of color and low-income communities.Transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, with at least 80 percent achieved by 2030, using wind, solar, ocean, small-scale hydro, and geothermal power. Renewable energy is technically and economically feasible. The barriers to a renewable energy economy come from economic, political and social interests, and are not technical.

End the use of nuclear power. Nuclear energy is massively polluting, dangerous, financially risky, expensive and slow to implement. Our money is better spent on wind, solar, geothermal, conservation and small-scale hydroelectric.

Stop "dirty clean energy." Many of the "solutions" offered in climate legislation aren't real solutions. Biomass incineration (trees, crops, construction debris and certain types of waste), landfill gas and many types of biofuels will dump massive quantities of toxic pollutants into the air and water, and some of these energy sources produce more greenhouse gas emissions than coal. Natural gas is primarily methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Consequently, when pipeline leakage is considered, the clean-burning characteristics of natural gas can be lost, resulting in a fuel with climate impacts as bad as coal. Biomass and biofuels will also increase deforestation, contributing to more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

6. Clean, Green Agriculture

Convert U.S farm and ranchland to organic practices. Chemical and industrial agriculture produces 35-50% of climate destabilizing greenhouse gases.

Switch to local food production and distribution. Localized, organic food production and distribution reduce fossil fuel usage and enriches soil that sequesters more carbon dioxide.

Reduce methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases by rapidly phasing out confined animal feeding operations, and encouraging a reduction in meat consumption.[42][39]

”

Presidential candidates' stances on the environment

Democratic Party Hillary Clinton

See also:Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016
caption
Energy development
  • In a December 17, 2015, radio interview withSouth Carolina radio station WGCV-AM,Hillary Clinton said, “I am very skeptical about the need or desire for us to pursue offshore drilling off the coast of South Carolina, and frankly off the coast of other southeast states.”[43]
Climate change
  • Politico reported on August 11, 2016, thatHillary Clinton had assembled an advisory team on climate change of more than 100 people, including former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner, former Michigan Gov.Jennifer Granholm (D), and many former Obama administration officials.[44]
  • According toThe Hill, “Clinton is open to working with lawmakers on a tax on carbon dioxide emissions if Congress wants it.” On July 26, 2016, Clinton’s energy advisor Trevor Houser said, “Democrats believe that climate change is too important to wait for climate deniers in Congress to start listening to science. And while it’s always important to remain open to a conversation about how to address this issue with Congress, we need a plan that we can implement day one, because it’s too important to wait, and we need to focus on those things as well.”[45]
  • Clinton, on January 18, 2016, signed a pledge to power at least half of the nation's energy needs with renewable sources by 2030. The pledge was created by NextGen Climate, a San Francisco-based environmental advocacy organization that was founded by philanthropist, environmental activist, and Democratic donorTom Steyer in 2013. The group is affiliated withNextGen Climate Action, asuper PAC.[46]
  • In response to the Paris Agreement adopted on December 12, 2015, Clinton released the following statement, in part: “I applaud PresidentObama, SecretaryKerry and our negotiating team for helping deliver a new, ambitious international climate agreement in Paris. This is an historic step forward in meeting one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century—the global crisis ofclimate change. … We cannot afford to be slowed by the climate skeptics or deterred by the defeatists who doubt America’s ability to meet this challenge.”[47]
  • Clinton’s campaign announced on November 11, 2015, a $30 billion plan to benefitcoal communities as the nation’s electric grid shifts tocleaner energy sources,Time reported. Clinton’s plan would invest in building roads, bridges, water systems, and airports in Appalachia and other coal areas, expand broadband access, and increase public investment in research and development. She would expand a public works project, according to a campaign white paper, aimed at producing clean energy throughhydro power on federal lands. The plan said that as president, Clinton would find ways to replace local revenue for public schools lost when coal production facilities disappear, ensuring that workers at bankrupt coal companies keep their benefits. She would also award grants for efficient housing upgrades and community health centers in coal communities.[48]
  • Clinton announced herclimate change policy on July 26, 2015. She focused on two national goals: installing more than 500 millionsolar panels across the country by the end of her first term and generating enough renewable energy to power every home in 10 years. In a video released by her campaign promoting her plan, Clinton said, "It's hard to believe there are people running for president who still refuse to accept the settled science of climate change."[49][50]
    • After Clinton released part of her climate change policy, the Republican opposition research organizationAmerica Rising criticized her for using a private jet. On July 28, 2015, an aide to Clinton announced that her campaign would be carbon neutral. "We'll be offsetting the carbon footprint of the campaign and that includes travel," the aide said. Clinton previously pledged to run a carbon neutral campaign in 2008.[51]
  • In December 2014, Clinton said, “The science of climate change is unforgiving, no matter what the deniers may say, sea levels are rising, ice caps are melting, storms, droughts and wildfires are wreaking havoc.”[52]
Keystone XL Pipeline
  • Hillary Clinton announced on September 22, 2015, that she opposed theKeystone XL pipeline. “I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone pipeline as what I believe it is -- a distraction from important work we have to do on climate change,” Clinton said. She continued, “And unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward with all the other issues. Therefore I oppose it.”[53][54]
  • Clinton declined to take a position on the Keystone XL pipeline on July 27, 2015, citing her involvement in evaluating the project. “No other presidential candidate was secretary of state when this process started, and I put together a very thorough deliberative evidence-based process to evaluate the environmental impact and other considerations of Keystone. As such, I know there is a very careful evaluation continuing and that the final decision is pending to be made by Secretary Kerry and President Obama. Very simply, the evaluation determines whether this pipeline is in our nation’s interest and I’m confident that the pipeline impacts on global greenhouse gas emissions will be a major factor in that decisions, as the president has said. So I will refrain from commenting because I had a leading role in getting that process started and I think we have to let it run its course,” Clinton said.[55]
Fracking
  • During theninth Democratic debate held in Brooklyn, New York, on April 14, 2016,Hillary Clinton was asked whether she had changed her opinion on fracking. Clinton responded, “No, well, I don’t think I’ve changed my view on what we need to do to go from where we are, where the world is heavily dependent on coal and oil, but principally coal, to where we need to be, which is clean renewable energy, and one of the bridge fuels is natural gas. And so for both economic and environmental and strategic reasons, it was American policy to try to help countries get out from under the constant use of coal, building coal plants all the time, also to get out from under, especially if they were in Europe, the pressure from Russia, which has been incredibly intense. So we did say natural gas is a bridge. We want to cross that bridge as quickly as possible, because in order to deal with climate change, we have got to move as rapidly as we can. That’s why I’ve set big goals. I want to see us deploy a half a billion more solar panels by the end of my first term and enough clean energy to provide electricity to every home in America within 10 years. So I have big, bold goals, but I know in order to get from where we are, where the world is still burning way too much coal, where the world is still too intimidated by countries and providers like Russia, we have got to make a very firm but decisive move in the direction of clean energy.”[56]
  • At theseventh Democratic debate on March 6, 2016, Clinton discussed her stance on fracking. She said, “You know, I don’t support it when any locality or any state is against it, number one. I don’t support it when the release of methane or contamination of water is present. I don’t support it — number three — unless we can require that anybody who fracks has to tell us exactly what chemicals they are using. So by the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places in America where fracking will continue to take place. And I think that’s the best approach, because right now, there places where fracking is going on that are not sufficiently regulated. So first, we’ve got to regulate everything that is currently underway, and we have to have a system in place that prevents further fracking unless conditions like the ones that I just mentioned are met.”[57]
  • Clinton tweeted on August 18, 2015, her disapproval of Shell being permitted to explore the Arctic foroil. “The Arctic is a unique treasure. Given what we know, it's not worth the risk of drilling,” she wrote.[58]
  • At the National Clean Energy Summit, Clinton spoke about the benefits ofnatural gas and the possibility of exporting it. She also expressed concerns about methane leaks and the need to regulatefracking.[59]
Environmental conservation
  • In 2003, Clinton voted foran amendment which sought to prevent "consideration of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."[61]

Republican Party Donald Trump

See also:Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
caption
  • In a speech in Pennsylvania on September 22, 2016, Trump outlined his energy policies. “I’m going to lift the restrictions on American energy and allow this wealth to pour into our communities including right here in the state of Pennsylvania. We will end the war on coal and on miners,” said Trump to attendees of the 2016 Shale Insight Conference, a gathering of natural gas producers. He said, “Billions of dollars in private infrastructure investment have been lost to the Obama-Clinton restriction agenda. … We will streamline the permitting process for all energy infrastructure projects, including the billions of dollars in projects held up by President Obama -– creating countless more jobs in the process.” Trump further outlined that he would roll back Obama's climate change plans, promote oil and gas drilling on federal lands, and promote the construction of oil and gas pipelines.[62]
  • During a rally in Fresno, California, on May 27, 2016, Donald Trump said that there was no drought in the state and that officials were prioritizing an endangered fish, the Delta smelt, with its water restrictions. “We’re going to solve your water problem. You have a water problem that is so insane. It is so ridiculous where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea,” he said.[63]
  • Donald Trump's campaign asked U.S. Rep.Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) to draft a white paper on energy policy.The Huffington Postreported on May 13, 2016, that Cramer “would emphasize the dangers of foreign ownership of U.S. energy assets, burdensome taxes, and over-regulation” in his policy paper.[64]
  • On August 24, 2012, Trump tweeted that wind turbines were "an environmental & aesthetic disaster."[65]
  • Trump wrote in his 2011 book,Time to Get Tough, that the Marcellus Shale was "one of the largest mother lodes ofnatural gas" and should be used to buy "more time to innovate and develop newer, more efficient, cleaner, and cheaper forms of energy."[66]
  • In a 2011 interview on energy production, Trump said the United States was not yet effectively utilizing nuclear energy, natural gas, or drilling.[67]
Climate change
  • The Trump campaign released a statement on the Paris Climate Accord after it was announced on October 5, 2016, that the international climate change deal would go into effect on November 4, 2016. The Trump campaign said it would “impose enormous costs on American households through higher electricity prices and higher taxes.” The statement went on to say, "As our nation considers these issues, Mr. Trump and Gov. Pence appreciate that many scientists are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions. We need America's scientists to continue studying the scientific issues but without political agendas getting in the way. We also need to be vigilant to defend the interests of the American people in any efforts taken on this front."[68]
  • Trump’s campaign manager,Kellyanne Conway, said on September 27, 2016, that Trump believes global warming is naturally occurring and humans are not the cause.[69]
  • Responding to a questionnaire published inScientific American on September 13, 2016, Trump said, “There is still much that needs to be investigated in the field of 'climate change.' Perhaps the best use of our limited financial resources should be in dealing with making sure that every person in the world has clean water. Perhaps we should focus on eliminating lingering diseases around the world like malaria. Perhaps we should focus on efforts to increase food production to keep pace with an ever-growing world population. Perhaps we should be focused on developing energy sources and power production that alleviates the need for dependence on fossil fuels. We must decide on how best to proceed so that we can make lives better, safer and more prosperous.”[70]
  • Trump delivered a speech on energy production at an oil and natural gas conference in North Dakota on May 26, 2016. Through the use of untapped domestic oil and gas reserves, Trump said that he would make the U.S. independent from foreign oil providers. If elected, he also pledged to take the following actions in his first 100 days in office: rescind the Climate Action Plan and Waters of the U.S. rule, support the renewal of theKeystone XL Pipeline project, cancel the Paris Climate Agreement, and reform the regulatory environment. The merit of future regulations, Trump said, would be determined by asking, “Is this regulation good for the American worker?”[71][72][73]
  • In a January 2014 interview onFOX News,Donald Trump saidclimate change was a hoax.[74] Two years earlier, Trump tweeted, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."[75]
Fracking
  • While campaigning in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 29, 2016, reporter Brandon Rittiman asked Trump about a fracking ballot measure that would change the state constitution to allow municipalities to ban oil and gas exploration. "Well, I’m in favor of fracking, but I think that voters should have a big say in it,” Trump told the reporter. “I mean, there’s some areas, maybe, they don’t want to have fracking. And I think if the voters are voting for it, that’s up to them… If a municipality or a state wants to ban fracking, I can understand that.”[76]
Keystone XL Pipeline
  • In an interview with Greta Van Sustern onFOX News in January 2012, Trump criticizedPresidentBarack Obama's rejection of theKeystone XL pipeline. He said, "Frankly, we don't need Canada. We should just be able to drill our ownoil. As long as it's there we certainly should have approved it. It was jobs and cheaper oil. It's just absolutely incredible. I guess President Obama took care of the environmentalists, but it is absolutely terrible. And it is not an environmental problem at all in any way, shape, or form."[77]

Libertarian Party Gary Johnson

See also:Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016
caption
  • In a speech on September 14, 2016, Johnson said, “Government I think has a fundamental responsibility to protect us against those that would do us harm, in this case pollution. And I support the EPA.”[78]
  • On his campaign website, Johnson described his approach to environmental policy: "We need to stand firm to protect our environment for our future generations, especially those designated areas of protection like our National Parks. Consistent with that responsibility, the proper role of government is to enforce reasonable environmental protections. Governor Johnson did that as Governor, and would do so as President. Governor Johnson believes the Environmental Protection Agency, when focused on its true mission, plays an important role in keeping the environment and citizens safe. Johnson does not, however, believe the government should be engaging in social and economic engineering for the purpose of creating winners and losers in what should be a robust free market. Preventing a polluter from harming our water or air is one thing. Having politicians in Washington, D.C., acting on behalf of high powered lobbyists, determine the future of clean energy innovation is another. ... In a healthy economy that allows the market to function unimpeded, consumers, innovators, and personal choices will do more to bring about environmental protection and restoration than will government regulations driven by special interests. Too often, when Washington, D.C. gets involved, the winners are those with the political clout to write the rules of the game, and the losers are the people and businesses actually trying to innovate. ... Governors Johnson and Weld strongly believe that the federal government should prevent future harm by focusing on regulations that protect us from real harm, rather than needlessly costing American jobs and freedom in order to pursue a political agenda."[79]
  • In a video posted to YouTube in March 2012,Gary Johnson said he opposed theKeystone XL pipeline if eminent domain were necessary to establish it. "If the Keystone pipeline is an issue of eminent domain – no, the government should not get involved or I'd have to really have a look at that. If it's rules and regulations that we're talking about, then, yes, rules and regulations can make and should make and I would support making the Keystone XL pipeline happen."[80]
  • On his 2012 presidential campaign website, Johnson wrote, "When it comes to the environment, the Federal government’s responsibility is no different than in other aspects of our lives. It is simply to protect us from those who would do us harm and damage our property. There are bad actors who would pollute our water supplies and our air if allowed to do so, and we must have laws and regulations to protect innocent Americans from the harm those bad actors would do. However, common sense must prevail, and the costs of all regulations must be weighed against the benefits. The government should simply stay out of the business of trying to promote or 'manage' energy development. The marketplace will meet our energy needs in the most economical and efficient manner possible – if government will stay out of the way."[81]
  • Johnson said he favored nuclear power in an August 2011 interview.[82]
Climate change
  • In an interview with theWashington Examiner on July 10, 2016, Johnson commented on the EPA and coal industry, saying, "The role, as far as the Environmental Protection Agency, is to identify health or safety concerns with regard to emissions. I think right now what is happening with climate change, what is happening with the coal industry, is that coal has been bankrupted. It has been bankrupted by the free market. As low as the price of coal is today, natural gas is even lower. So, no new coal plants are going to be built ... Those that exist now are being grandfathered in [under the EPA regulations]. So, coal, the number one contributor to CO2 emissions in the world, is dead. Coal is dead. And the free market did it because we, as consumers, are demanding less carbon emissions."[83]
  • In an interview with CNBC on August 22, 2016, Johnson said, "I do think that climate change is occurring, that it is man-caused. One of the proposals that I think is a very libertarian proposal, and I'm just open to this, is taxing carbon emission that may have the result of being self-regulating. ... The market will take care of it. I mean, when you look at it from the standpoint of better results, and actually less money to achieve those results, that's what is being professed by a carbon tax."[84]
  • On the questions of climate change and whether or not humans contribute to it, Johnson said on his campaign website: "Is the climate changing? Probably so. Is man contributing to that change? Probably so. But the critical question is whether the politicians’ efforts to regulate, tax and manipulate the private sector are cost-effective – or effective at all."[79]
  • Johnson said in a December 2011 interview with NPR that although he believed climate change was human-induced, he did not support cap and trade regulations to lower carbon emissions. He said, "You know, I'm accepting that global warming is man-caused. That said, I am opposed to cap and trade. I think that free-market approach. Hey, we're all demanding less carbon emission. I think we're going to get it."[85]
Fracking
  • In November 2011, Johnson said, "I’m going to keep an open mind on fracking.” He continued, saying that "the fact that inPennsylvania you could turn your faucet on and get water before fracking, and afterwards you could light it — that's a concern. That's a real, live concern.”[86]


Green Party Jill Stein

See also:Jill Stein presidential campaign, 2016
caption
  • On September 7, 2016, warrants were filed in Morton County,North Dakota, for the arrest ofJill Stein and her running mate,Ajamu Baraka, for misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and criminal mischief. They allegedly vandalized equipment at a construction site to protest the Dakota Access pipeline. Stein called her actions civil disobedience. She added, “I hope the North Dakota authorities press charges against the real vandalism taking place at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation: the bulldozing of sacred burial sites and the unleashing of vicious attack dogs."[87]
  • In an interview on Fox Business on August 26, 2016, Stein said, “What the science actually says and the studies and the experts say that if we have the political will, we can convert. And it’s not just a matter of shutting down fossil fuel—it’s a matter of creating the good jobs for the economy of the future that’s healthy for us as people and healthy for the planet. … Fortunately, we save so much money by the health improvements from phasing out fossil fuels—it’s actually enough to pay for those jobs to ensure the green energy transition.”[88]
  • Jill Stein tweeted on August 11, 2016, “My attorney general will prosecute Exxon for lying to the world about climate change. We need to end fossil fuels before it's too late.”[89]
  • On January 26, 2016, Stein said, "No human being should be condemned to drink water contaminated by a neurotoxin.” Stein called for criminal prosecution of the governor and other public officials who were aware of the water contamination in Flint, Michigan, immediate federal and state intervention to resolve Flint’s water crisis, and federal investment in the nation’s water system.[90]
  • In a November 29, 2015, interview withThe Harvard Crimson,Stein said she “hopes to replicate key aspects of the New Deal legislation,” which she believes “would allow the US to become fully dependent on renewable energy within 15 years.” She said the plan “revives the economy, creates well paying living wage jobs that we desperately need at the same time that it greens the economy and the energy system and therefore turns the tide on climate change and makes wars for oil obsolete. It’s a win-win.”[91]
  • As part of the "Green New Deal" promoted on her 2016 presidential campaign website,Stein supported "transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030."[92]
  • Stein was charged with trespassing when she attempted to provide food to activists protesting the Keystone XL pipeline in October 2012.[93]
  • On Stein's 2012 presidential campaign website, she listed five action items she would take to improve the environment.
  • "Create millions of green jobs in areas such as weatherization, recycling, public transportation, worker and community owned cooperatives, and energy-efficient infrastructure."[94]
  • "Adopt theEPA's new tougher standards on ozone pollution."[94]
  • "Promote conversion to sustainable, nontoxic materials."[94]
  • "Promote use of closed-loop, zero waste processes."[94]
  • "Promote organic agriculture, permaculture, and sustainable forestry."[94]
Climate change
  • On June 28, 2016,Jill Stein “said that the proposed deal with Mexico and Canada to go to 50% carbon-free electricity from 2025 is inadequate to meet the climate goals set in Paris,” according to a press release from her campaign. Stein said, "Obama's proposals are a step in the right direction but way too little. We need an emergency national mobilization similar to what our country did after Pearl Harbor at the outset of WWII." Stein proposes transitioning “to 100% clean energy for everything - not just electricity – by 2030 while creating 20 million jobs and avoiding hundreds of thousands of annual ‘excess deaths’ from air pollution.”[95]
  • During a February 15, 2016, interview with Chris Hedges posted onTheRealNews.com,Stein said, "[W]e are facing an all-out climate emergency."[96]
Fracking
  • After traveling to Paris to participate in events related to the United Nations Climate Change Conference,Stein said in a statement on December 11, 2015, “The voluntary, unenforceable pledges being produced by COP21 are entirely insufficient to prevent catastrophic climate change. Scientific analysis shows that these pledges will lead us to 3 degrees Celsius global temperature rise - and that will be catastrophic." She added that the spread of the hydrofracking industry in the U.S. “is leading to a spreading cancer of polluted groundwater and fracked gas pipelines.”[97]


Ballot measures

Environmental ballot measures

See also:Environment on the ballot,Water on the ballot, andNatural resources on the ballot

Ballotpedia tracked the following environmental ballot measures in 2016.

Voting on the Environment
Environment.jpg
Ballot Measures
By state
By year
Not on ballot
Local
Local environment
Local GMO
Local fracking


Voting on Water
Water.jpg
Ballot Measures
By state
By year
Not on ballot
Local
Local water
Fluoridation
Local utility fees


Voting on
Natural Resources
Natural resources.jpg
Ballot Measures
By state
By year
Not on ballot


Certified environmental ballot measures

State ballot measures
  1. California Proposition 65, Dedication of Revenue from Disposable Bag Sales to Wildlife Conservation Fund (2016)
    A"yes" vote supported redirecting money collected from the sale of carry-out bags by grocery or other retail stores to a special fund administered by the Wildlife Conservation Board.
    A"no" vote opposed this measure redirecting money collected from the sale of carry-out bags by grocery or other retail stores to a special fund administered by the Wildlife Conservation Board.
Local ballot measures
  1. City of Columbus Community Bill of Rights Fracking Ban Initiative Charter Amendment (November 2016)Template:Yesbox.defaultTemplate:Nobox.default
  2. San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority “Clean and Healthy Bay” Parcel Tax, Measure AA (June 2016)
    A"yes" vote was a vote in favor of aparcel tax—a kind of property tax based on units of property rather than assessed value—of $12 per year throughout the nine counties surrounding the San Francisco Bay.
    A"no" vote was a vote to reject the proposed parcel tax of $12 per year.
  3. Santa Clara County, California, Park Charter Fund Extension, Measure A (June 2016)
    Ayesvote was a vote in favor of extending the Santa Clara County Park Charter Fund through a transfer from the annual fund every year for fifteen years.
    Anovote was a vote against extending the Park Charter Fund, allowing it to expire in 2021.
  4. Dunsmuir, California, Water Service Changes, Measure W (November 2016)
    Ayesvote was a vote in favor of making various changes to the city's water and sewer policies, including prohibiting turning off utility services for nonpayment of bills, making property owners, not tenants, responsible for paying water and sewer bills, and establishing a flat rate for water services.
    Anovote was a vote against making various changes to the city's water and sewer policies, thereby leaving the city the option of shutting off services if bills go unpaid, allowing tenants, rather than property owners, to be the legally responsible customers for water and sewer services, and leaving the option of higher fee rates for properties with higher consumption.
  5. Siskiyou County, California, Groundwater Extraction Permits, Measure H (November 2016)
    Ayesvote was a vote in favor of amend the groundwater regulation ordinance to require a groundwater extraction permit for extraction from all groundwater sources intended for out-of-county uses, including sources for which county law did not require a permit and extraction for the purpose of bottling as drinking water.
    Anovote was a vote against amend the groundwater regulation ordinance, thereby leaving a permit required for only certain defined basins and an exception for water used for bottled drinking water.
  6. Healdsburg, California, Fluoridation of Water Supply, Measure T (November 2016)
    Ayesvote was a vote in favor of instituting a moratorium on fluoridation of city water until manufacturers of fluoridation chemicals provide information about contaminants of the chemical batch.
    Anovote was a vote against instituting a moratorium on fluoridation of city water until manufacturers of fluoridation chemicals provide information about contaminants of the chemical batch.
  7. Santa Cruz, California, Water System Charter Amendment, Measure H (November 2016)
    Ayesvote was a vote in favor of amending the city's charter to allow the city council to use revenue from the water system to get matching funds or grants and to issue debt for capital facilities.
    Anovote was a vote against amending the city's charter to allow the city council to use revenue from the water system to get matching funds or grants and to issue debt for capital facilities.
  8. Arroyo Grande, California, Authority to Purchase Water from the State Water Project, Measure E (November 2016)
    Ayesvote was a vote in favor of authorizing the city to purchase supplementary water from the State Water Project during emergencies, as declared by the city council.
    Anovote was a vote against authorizing the city to purchase supplementary water from the State Water Project during emergencies, as declared by the city council.

Proposed environmental ballot measures

The following environmental ballot measures did not make the ballot in 2016.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑U.S. Supreme Court, "Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency - Brief for petitioners," accessed October 27, 2016
  2. ↑U.S. Supreme Court, "Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency - Brief in opposition," accessed October 27, 2016
  3. ↑Congressional Research Service, "EPA’s Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants: Frequently Asked Questions," June 15, 2016
  4. ↑4.04.1Reuters, "Court Places Hold On Clean Water Rule Nationwide," October 9, 2015
  5. ↑Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report Summary for Policymakers," accessed September 13, 2016
  6. ↑Heartland Institute, "Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming: The NIPCC Report on Scientific Consensus," accessed September 12, 2016
  7. ↑Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, "Climate Change 101: State Action," January 2011
  8. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Climate Change: Basic Information," accessed January 21, 2015
  9. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Climate change glossary," accessed February 1, 2015
  10. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Overview of the Clean Power Plan," accessed November 3, 2015
  11. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Clean Power Plan Toolbox for States," accessed November 3, 2015
  12. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Clean Power Plan - Rule Summary," August 3, 2015
  13. ↑The New York Times, "Supreme Court Deals Blow to Obama’s Efforts to Regulate Coal Emissions," February 9, 2016
  14. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "CWA Section 404-Permits to Discharge Dredged or Fill Material," accessed September 22, 2014
  15. ↑U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jurisdictional Determination Form Instructional Guidebook," May 30, 2007
  16. ↑Cornell University Law School, "33 U.S. Code, Section 1362 (Text of the Clean Water Act)," accessed September 22, 2014
  17. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "33 U.S. Code, Section 1251 (Text of the Clean Water Act)," accessed September 19, 2014
  18. ↑Farm Futures, "Groups Release 'Waters of the U.S.' Mapping Tool," September 4, 2014
  19. ↑Pacific Legal Foundation, "'Waters of the United States' — the ultimate power grab," November 10, 2014
  20. ↑Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs namedrapanos
  21. ↑Environment and Energy Publishing News, "Big wins elusive for EPA in Clean Water Act showdowns," August 27, 2014
  22. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Clean Water Rule Factsheet," accessed May 28, 2015
  23. ↑Washington Post, "North Dakota district court blocks controversial ‘Waters of the United States’ rule (UPDATED)," August 28, 2015
  24. ↑Detroit Free Press, "Where are the lead pipes? In many cities, we just don't know," February 28, 2016
  25. ↑Brookings Institution, "A surefire strategy to improve water infrastructure in Flint and beyond," March 18, 2016
  26. ↑Environmental Protection Agency, "Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment Fifth Report to Congress," April 2013
  27. ↑27.027.1Congressional Budget Office, "Public Spending on Transportation and Water Infrastructure, 1956 to 2014," March 2015
  28. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Benefits and Costs of Cleaning Up Toxic Air Pollution from Power Plants," accessed February 2, 2016
  29. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) - Basic Information," accessed February 2, 2016
  30. ↑U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Ground Level Ozone: Regulatory Actions," accessed February 2, 2016
  31. ↑31.031.1U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Overview of EPA's Proposal to Update the Air Quality Standards for Ground-Level Ozone," November 25, 2014Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name "overview" defined multiple times with different content
  32. ↑32.032.132.2Congressional Research Service, "Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data," December 29, 2014Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name "CRSoverview" defined multiple times with different content
  33. ↑High Country News, "This year’s GOP platform pushes federal land transfers," July 14, 2016
  34. ↑U.S. Congressional Research Service, "Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 113th Congress," December 8, 2014
  35. ↑High Country News, "State bills to study federal-to-state land transfers," April 30, 2015
  36. ↑U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "ESA Overview," accessed October 1, 2014
  37. ↑37.037.1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "Species listed in each state based on published historic range and population data," accessed May 30, 2016
  38. ↑38.038.1Democratic Platform Committee, "2016 Democratic Party Platform," July 8-9, 2016
  39. ↑39.039.139.239.3Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  40. ↑40.040.1Republican National Convention, "Republican Platform 2016," accessed August 5, 2016
  41. ↑Libertarian Party, "Platform," archived August 23, 2016
  42. ↑Green Party, "The 2016 Green Party Platform on Ecological Sustainability," archived August 28, 2016
  43. ↑The Guardian, "Hillary Clinton on east coast oil drilling: 'So little to gain and so much to lose,'" December 17, 2015
  44. ↑Politico, "Hillary Clinton's climate army," August 11, 2016
  45. ↑The Hill, "Clinton open to ‘conversation’ on carbon tax," July 26, 2016
  46. ↑NextGen Climate, "HUGE NEWS: BERNIE SANDERS JOINS HILLARY CLINTON IN ENDORSING #50BY30," February 9, 2016
  47. ↑Hillary for America: The Briefing, "Hillary Clinton Statement on the Paris Climate Change Agreement," accessed December 14, 2015
  48. ↑TIME, "Hillary Clinton Announces Plan to Protect Coal Communities," November 12, 2015
  49. ↑The Wall Street Journal, "Hillary Clinton Previews Plans to Combat Climate Change," July 26, 2015
  50. ↑YouTube, "Stand for Reality," July 26, 2015
  51. ↑CNN, "First on CNN: Clinton campaign pledges to be carbon neutral, aide says," July 28, 2015
  52. ↑The Hill, "Hillary Clinton: Climate changing 'no matter what deniers may say,'" accessed February 2, 2015
  53. ↑CNN Politics, "Hillary Clinton opposes Keystone XL pipeline," September 22, 2015
  54. ↑USA Today, "Hillary Clinton says she opposes Keystone XL Pipeline," September 22, 2015
  55. ↑Politico, "Hillary Clinton steers clear of Keystone," July 27, 2015
  56. ↑The New York Times, "Transcript: Democratic Presidential Debate in Brooklyn," April 15, 2016
  57. ↑The New York Times, "Transcript of the Democratic Presidential Debate in Flint, Mich.," March 6, 2016
  58. ↑National Journal, "Hillary Clinton: Arctic Drilling 'Not Worth The Risk,'" August 18, 2015
  59. ↑Politico, “Hillary Clinton talks climate change, gas and exports to friendly energy crowd," September 4, 2014
  60. ↑Congress.gov, "S.22 - Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009," accessed February 2, 2015
  61. ↑Congress.gov, "S.Amdt.272 to S.Con.Res.23," accessed February 2, 2015
  62. ↑YouTube, "Full Speech: Donald Trump Speech at Shale Insight Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (9/22/2016)," September 22, 2016
  63. ↑USA Today, "Donald Trump tells Californians there is no drought," May 28, 2016
  64. ↑The Huffington Post, "Donald Trump Taps Climate Change Skeptic As Key Energy Adviser," May 13, 2016
  65. ↑Twitter, "Donald J. Trump, August 24, 2012," accessed June 18, 2015
  66. ↑Trump, Donald. (2011).Time to Get Tough. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing. (page 24)
  67. ↑Examiner, "Donald Trump: 'Beyond the nuclear' American energy solutions - Full transcript," March 16, 2011
  68. ↑DonaldJTrump.com, "Trump campaign statement on Paris Climate Accord," October 5, 2016
  69. ↑Politico, "Trump adviser denies climate change is manmade," September 27, 2016
  70. ↑Scientific American, "What Do the Presidential Candidates Know about Science?" September 13, 2016
  71. ↑The Guardian, "Donald Trump would allow Keystone XL pipeline and end Paris climate deal," May 26, 2016
  72. ↑Donald Trump for President, "​An America First Energy Plan," May 26, 2016
  73. ↑CNN, "Donald Trump's energy plan: Regulate less, drill more," May 27, 2016
  74. ↑Media Matters, "Fox Regular Donald Trump Decries Climate Change 'Hoax,'" January 6, 2014
  75. ↑Twitter, "Donald J. Trump, November 6, 2012," accessed June 18, 2015
  76. ↑The Federalist, "Trump Boosts Anti-Fracking Measure, Upends Swing State Energy Fight," August 5, 2016
  77. ↑FOX News, "Trump to GOP: Stop playing into President Obama's hands," January 18, 2012
  78. ↑NPR, "Libertarian Nominee Gary Johnson Delivers Economic Speech In Detroit," September 14, 2016
  79. ↑79.079.1JohnsonWeld, "Environment," accessed September 1, 2016
  80. ↑YouTube, "Gary Johnson on Keystone pipeline," March 24, 2012
  81. ↑Gary Johnson 2012, "Environment," accessed January 9, 2016
  82. ↑Scott Holleran, "Interview with Gary Johnson," August 21, 2011
  83. ↑Washington Examiner, "Gary Johnson: I'll cut your taxes," July 10, 2016
  84. ↑CNBC, "Libertarian Gary Johnson on 2016: 'This is the demise of the Republican Party'," August 22, 2016
  85. ↑NPR, "Johnson Discusses Seeking Libertarian Nomination," December 30, 2011
  86. ↑Politico, "Morning Energy," November 18, 2011
  87. ↑The Hill, "Jill Stein charged over pipeline protest," September 7, 2016
  88. ↑Fox Business, "Jill Stein: Ending Fossil Fuels Is a 'Tough Job'," August 26, 2016
  89. ↑Twitter, "Dr. Jill Stein," August 11, 2016
  90. ↑Jill Stein for President, "Stein Says Gov. Snyder Should Be Prosecuted For Flint Crisis. Calls for New Water Infrastructure Through A Green New Deal to End Nationwide Drinking Water Crisis," January 24, 2016
  91. ↑The Harvard Crimson, "Harvard Grad Jill Stein Faces Uphill Battle for Presidency," November 29, 2015
  92. ↑Jill 2016, "Power to the People Plan," accessed July 7, 2015
  93. ↑Washington Post, "Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein charged with trespassing in Keystone XL protest," October 31, 2012
  94. ↑94.094.194.294.394.4Jill Stein for President, "Issues," accessed July 6, 2015
  95. ↑JillStein2016.com, "Press Release: Obama's Carbon Deal Won't Avoid Climate Change," June 28, 2016
  96. ↑TheRealNews.com, "Days of Revolt: The Problem," February 15, 2016
  97. ↑Green Party USA, "Stein: UN Process has failed to save climate: People must act," accessed December 11, 2015
v • e
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis in 2016
Main
Federal Desk
State Desk
Local Desk
Policy Desk
Ballotpedia
Editorial Content
Josh Altic, Director of Content •Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data •Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features •Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures •Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News •Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion •Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections •Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law •Joel Williams, Managing Editor of Events •Andrew Bahl •Jaclyn Beran •Marielle Bricker •Joseph Brusgard •Emma Burlingame •Kelly Coyle •Jon Dunn •Victoria Edwards •Thomas Ellis •Nicole Fisher •Joseph Greaney •Thomas Grobben •Brianna Hosea •Molly Kehoe •Tyler King •Glorie Martinez •Norm Leahy, Senior Editor •Nathan Maxwell •Jimmy McAllister •Brandon McCauley •Ellie Mikus •Ellen Morrissey •Mackenzie Murphy •Kaley Platek •Samantha Post •Adam Powell •Annelise Reinwald •Ethan Rice •Spencer Richardson •Victoria Rose •Briana Ryan •Myj Saintyl •Maddy Salucka •Emma Soukup •Alexis Thacker •Mina Vogel •Samuel Wonacott •Trenton Woodcox