Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Rep. Dennis Kucinich
The Plan: Kucinich, unlike other Democrats, doesn't have a comprehensive energy and global warming plan, but he promises to slash carbon dioxide emissions by 80% and enact a New Green Deal to transfer clean energy technology to developing nations.
What Sets Him Apart: A Works Green Administration, modeled after FDR's Depression-era Works Progress Administration, to execute green development programs funded in part by zero-interest loans to states.

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Dennis Kucinich has made creating a Works Green Administration to employ people performing environmental and energy efficiency projects around the country a key part of his domestic agenda.

During his time holding national office, Kucinich has a 92 lifetime score on the League of Conservation Voters Scorecard. The Scorecard rates national office holders on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their votes on environmental issues on which LCV has taken a position. He scored 100 four times between 2001 and 2006, and never scored lower than 85.

The 2008 Kucinich campaign has taken $775 from the oil and gas industry, the least of 15 candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Dennis Kucinich's Energy and Environmental Platform at a Glance

Dennis Kucinich has not published a detailed energy policy, but he has made public statements about certain key elements, and indicated by his voting record policies what he supports.

CLIMATE

• Cut carbon dioxide emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Employ a cap-and-trade system whereby companies would have to restrict pollution to within a national cap, and those that pollute less could sell credits to those who pollute more.
• Invest in developing new renewable energy technology and work via a "New Green Deal" to transfer that technology to developing nations.

• Create a Works Green Administration, modeled after FDR's Depression-era Works Progress Administration, to execute "green development programs" funded in part by zero-interest loans to states.
• Revoke subsidies for oil, coal and nuclear power, and enact new incentives for renewable energy.
• Phase out all nuclear and coal-fired power plants, and all coal mining, in part by paying miners not to mine, as some farm subsidies pay farmers not to farm certain crops.
• Ban fossil fuel extraction (as well as mining and logging) on all public lands, including the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
• Support a new renewable energy portfolio that would require utilities to derive 10% to 40% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
• Has supported taxing "windfall" oil company profits.
• Change electricity markets so companies have incentive to invest in conservation and to decentralize power production with solar panels and wind turbines on individual homes and properties.

• Increase fuel economy of cars to 45 mpg and light trucks and SUVs to 40 mpg.
• Would support development of fuel cell technology, but subsidies for biofuels only as a stepping stone to get to fuel cell technology.

• Support family and organic farms and farmers markets
• Tighten regulations on factory farms.
• Support research into Colony Collapse Disorder.
• Require all food with genetically modified ingredients to be labeled.

• End participation in North American Free Trade Agreement and World Trade Organization and ensure all new trade agreements have environmental protection provisions.
• Require manufacturers of electronics to account for the environmentally responsible disposal of electronic waste via recycling or other programs, and sign the Basel Convention to prevent American toxic waste from being dumped in other nations.
• Oppose privatization of water supplies.
• Require government to purchase only post-consumer recycled paper products, or papers made from sources other than forests.

• League of Conservation Voters
• The Heat Is On, a partnership project of the LCV Education Fund
• Grist
• Dennis Kucinich's Campaign Website
• Center for Responsive Politics

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