Obama

With the presidential campaign well under way, many issues have been debated and discussed such as Iraq, gas prices, and foreign policy. One of the lesser addressed areas is each candidate's stance on the environment and animal rights. However, Obama's and McCain's views on this matter should be taken into a greater consideration for the decision of who should become the next leader of the country.

Obama has a variety of environmental goals and successes. He has organized inner-city recycling, introduced bills to reduce mercury and lead levels, and supported national parks. Much of his effort is focused on environmental racism and educating the inner cities and the poor.

He does not support the storage of nuclear waste in Yucca mountain, and instead promotes green technology and fuel efficiency.

The Humane Society gives him a score of 60%. While Obama supported bills against dog/cock-fighting and signed a letter asking for more funds for the Animal Welfare Act, he did not vote for the Horse Slaughter Prevention Act or the Downed Animal Protection Act.

John McCain received a 40% from the Humane Society. He only supported the bills involving the prevention of horse slaughter for human consumption and exportation.

McCain believes that the economy and the condition of the environment are not "mutually exclusive, but intrinsically linked." Therefore, he advocates sustainable use of resources and the preservation of wilderness areas.

He co-sponsored many bills on protecting natural parks and wants the EPA to become a cabinet department. He does support Yucca Mountain and using nuclear energy.

So, the two candidates do have some overlapping opinions, especially on the subject of national parks and sustainability. Obama has a slighter better track record in the eyes of the Humane Society, but both candidates don't seem to be hardcore animal rights supporters. The major area in which they disagree is the storage of nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain.

Obama seems more of an "activist"; he has actually gone into the cities, interacted with the people; physically done more for the environmental cause. McCain, on the other hand, has supported a lot of legislation in Congress that protects and preserves nature.

Both candidates seem to do fairly well from the environmental standpoint. At least they each acknowledge the problems that the world has and have advocated methods to alleviate them. Hopefully, no matter whether McCain or Obama wins, our country will start making eco-friendly decisions for a sustainable future.

The image is from www.time.com