McCain Uses Climate Change To Distinguish Himself From Bush

ELECTION  MCCAIN  ELECTIONS 

By Andrew Theen

Portland, OR  May 13, 2008 8:01 a.m.

Presidential candidate John McCain made his first campaign stop in Oregon Monday.

The presumptive Republican nominee chose Portland to deliver a big speech on climate change.  McCain  spoke to employees from Vestas, a wind turbine farm. 

Environmental policy is one area where the Arizona Senator is drawing distinctions between himself and President Bush.  McCain, for one opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge.  He recalled a first-hand story of climate change.

John McCain: "On a trip to Alaska I heard about a national parks visitors center that was built to offer a picture-perfect view of a large glacier.  That problem is, the glacier is gone.  A work of nature  that took ages to form had melted away in a matter of decades."

McCain also outlined a plan to curb greenhouse gases.  It's similar to one he co-authored 3 years ago.  He called for cutting emissions  60 percent below 1990s levels by the year 2050.

McCain spoke about how climate change fits into other  global issues. He advocates diplomacy with developing nations like China and India to address their increased energy needs.

John McCain: "The governments of these developing economic powers will soon recognize as America is beginning to do the urgent need for cleaner burning fuels and safer sources of energy. If the efforts to negotiate an international solution that includes China and India do not succeed we still have an obligation to act."

In his speech McCain also promised to expand  nuclear power, which he called an emissions-free power source.

The Arizona Senator also endorsed a carbon cap and trade system.  That's a plan that Democratic candidates Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton have proposed their own versions of.

McCain also attended a thousand dollar a plate fundraiser near the Portland airport.

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