Seas Are Rising, But Democrats’ Talk of Climate Change Is Heating Up Even Faster

WLRN 91.3 FM | By MARY ELLEN KLAS

Published June 24, 2019 at 6:39 AM EDT

City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado with his son Jose Regalado, walk through the flooded streets in Shorecrest after a combination of rain and King Tide flooded the area, October 5, 2017.

As 20 Democratic candidates arrive in Miami this week for the first round of presidential debates, the region of tide-swollen floods, hurricane-battered communities and toxic-algae infestations is providing a vivid backdrop for an issue that has emerged as a top priority for many voters: climate change.

Recent polls show that the issue is a litmus test for many Democratic voters, and the party’s candidates have responded with more detailed and aggressive proposals than were imagined even four years ago.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has made climate change the center of his campaign and released two packages of proposals that include shutting down all coal plants by 2030 and investing $3 trillion in emissions-efficient transportation, infrastructure and housing. Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke has used his climate proposal to bring renewed attention to his faltering campaign.

Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.