Gov. Mike Huckabee

Gov. Mike Huckabee
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Huckabee has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Nuclear power, fossil fuel exploration, renewable energy like biofuels and wind power, new coal technology and hydrogen.
What Sets Him Apart: He and Sen. John McCain are the only Republican candidates to endorse the idea of a cap-and-trade regulation to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. He also wants to abolish the income tax, which he says would cut down on consumption by taxing sales instead.

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Mike Huckabee has pledged to make the nation energy independent by the end of his second term as president, and has said the question of whether or not global warming is caused by humans is irrelevant since "It’s the old boy scout rule: you leave your campsite in as good or better shape than how you found it."

Huckabee's voting record hasn't been scored by the League of Conservation voters because the group doesn't rate governors.

The 2008 Huckabee campaign has taken $16,950 from the oil and gas industry, ranking him 11th of 15 candidates and 6th of eight Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Mike Huckabee's Energy and Environmental Platform at a Glance

Mike Huckabee talks about energy policy primarily in economic and national security terms, discussing renewable energy, for instance, as a way to increase the market for farm products. He has not published a detailed energy plan, but has some priorities outlined on his Website, and he has discussed some of his positions publicly.

CLIMATE

• Has been quoted as saying he supports a cap-and-trade system for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, but has not spelled out specific goals and regulations, or made it a prominent part of his campaign's energy policy.

• Supports nuclear power, and creating economic incentives for communities that store radioactive waste.
• Supports fossil fuel exploration and extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Supports various renewable energies, including wind, solar and biofuels like ethanol made from corn and other crops and waste products.
• Supports government research and development into new energy sources, if matched by private companies.
• Sees an end to property and income taxes, in favor of a consumption tax, as a way to boost ingenuity in the development of new energy sources.
• Supports coal when used with new "clean coal" technology.
• Supports development of hydrogen as a fuel source.

• Favors increasing fuel economy standards but has not set goals for how fast or how much he would increase them.

• Discusses domestic food availability as a component of national security.
• Supports farm subsidies.
• Supports a national crop insurance program.

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

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