The candidates are asked what should be done about energy independence, especially since it may be a costly transition. Each of the candidates handled it well, framing the transition to a clean energy policy as necessary, not optional. Biden, up first, says, "The president has to make this a moral crusade for the American people." Richardson says we need to raise fuel efficiency standards to 50 miles a gallon, not 35, and reduce consumption of oil by 50 percent. He also mentioned investing in mass transit, the only of the candidates to do so. "This has to be an energy revolution lead by a president," said Richardson. Dodd touted himself as the only candidate who advocated a corporate carbon tax. "Cheaper fuel is always going to win out, unfortunately," he says. Clinton says that the energy transition will require "a new form of American patriotism," in which people are proud to make sacrifices and back the necessary efforts to transition. Obama called it "a moral imperative." "The next president has to be able to tell the American not just what they want to hear, but what they need to hear," he said.
--Kate Sheppard
