Environmental Platforms

After reading the platforms for environmental reform for each candidate, it is clear that both Obama and McCain have different approaches to address the environmental crisis we are enduring.

I personally think that McCain falls into two categories: market liberals and institutionalist's. He wants to utilize a market system approach to change the environment and also plans to rely on advanced technology.

I would place Obama more in the social greens category. His main goals are to reduce the reliance on foreign oil, create "green collar" jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emission. He does not focus as much on technological advances to improve the environment. He takes more of an economic approach - putting caps on trade programs, etc. He only plans to utilize technological advances when it comes to putting more hybrid cars on the road and developing "clean coal" technology for green collar jobs.

I was able to gain a sense of how McCain would utilize technology and resources to change the environment when reading his platforms, unlike when I was reading Obama's, where it mostly states what the goals are. After reading both platforms, I'm not exactly sure which one I agree with more. In general I don't know how I feel about technological advances changing the environment, because I personally think technology and consumption go hand in hand and they are the two biggest factors that are contributing to environmental degradation. If I had to choose, I would side with Obama. I think his efforts to decrease our reliance on foreign oil and creating green collar jobs will be more helpful than McCain's technological and economical growth.