🌱Climate change given 15 minutes at Democratic debates

Climate change got its 15 minutes of fame this week during the Democratic debates. It's only 15 minutes, but it's 15 minutes more than the topic received during all of the 2016 elections combined. Some candidates identified climate change as the number one geopolitical issue facing the United States, and few avoided the subject in its entirety. The 2020 election continues to show that climate change is a burgeoning issue within politics, breaking through the barriers it has faced for more than 30 years. [Polling]( also shows that climate change is at the top of the priority list for Democratic voters, especially among the youngest voting generation. The question going forward will be whether the hype around the issue sustains, let alone grows, as the country inches closer to November 2020. One thing that will dictate the vibrancy around the spotlight is which presidential candidates stick in the ring and which fall off. For example, if Jay Inslee leads the pack or keeps paces with the big players like Joe Biden or Kamala Harris, climate change will no doubt remain in the dialogue. If not, the tinder stoking the fire around climate change may dissolve. Healthy soil - oftentimes a rarity in the United States - has the capacity to sequester tons of carbon. This Colorado town hopes its efforts to regenerate its barren lands can make a dent in its ambitious climate plan in addition to providing healthy food for its residents. [Read More +]( [Here’s how climate change is viewed around the world]( The whole world is seeing the impacts of climate change in their backyards, but their responses are mixed. Bloomberg dives into what country is doing what. [Read More +]( [Renewable energy production surpasses coal in U.S. for first time]( Sources like wind and solar energy provided 23 percent of America’s electricity in April, compared to 20 percent from coal, the agency announced Wednesday. [Read More +]( [Climate got more time in the Democrats’ first 2020 debate than in all 2016 debates combined radically changing how they live with climate change.]( Climate change had seven minutes of airtime during Thursday's debate and another eight during Friday's, which is more time than all the 2016 debates combined. But is it enough? [Read More +]( [Read More+]( Ahead of the debates, presidential hopeful Jay Inslee released another iteration of his climate change plan. Read more about it [here](. [Forest Service might limit public comments]( High Country News breaks down the 12 key takeaways for the proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act. [Read More +]( [U.S. government finds oil spill pouring out more liquid than company reported 14 years after its rupture]( Fourteen years after a mudslide ruptured an oil and gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico the federal government found that the pipe is spilled out more liquid than the owner had previously reported. [Read More +]( What else we're reading this week - Medical groups warn climate change is a [‘health emergency’]( via The Associated Press - 'Climate apartheid' between [rich and poor looms]( UN expert warns via BBC - Mayors across country commit to [buying electric vehicles]( via The Hill - Group wants [grizzly bears restored]( to more U.S. states via The Missoulian Quote of the day: “We have to build our way out of this and grow our way out.” -Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan on the U.S. tackling climate change Tip of the day: Look for powdered toothpaste in a glass jar. This eliminates a lot of the pollutants from toothpaste going into waterways and littering landscapes. [Subscribe now!]( A free weekly environment briefing that comes to you. No algorithms, clickbait or ads – just what's worth reading. I've got your back Hi, my name is Liz Forster. I am an environment reporter and have a particular interest in public land management, natural disasters, climate change and ecology, among other topics. I received a degree in Environmental Policy from Colorado College and have worked for a Colorado newspaper since. Subscribe and each week, I'll comb through newspaper's headlines and send you the latest, most pertinent environment news. Questions, comments, suggestions? Email me at liz.forster@gazette.com or follow me on Twitter at @lizmforster. You're receiving this email because you signed up for Environment Weekly emails The Colorado Springs Gazette, L.L.C. | 100 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 [Unsubscribe {EMAIL}]( [Update Profile]( | [Our Privacy Policy]( | [About Constant Contact]( Sent by noreply@gazette.com