Editorial: Don’t omit climate questions from presidential debates

President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden are expected to clash over a number of issues at tonight’s debate, according to a list of topics released last week by moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News.

These include the two candidates' records, the Supreme Court, the coronavirus pandemic, election integrity and “race and violence in our cities,” all of which should generate friction and create some sparks.

Notably absent from the list: climate change and the cataclysmic effects that will result without swift and sustained action to address it. It is a discussion Americans desperately need to hear.

Look across the country and the effects of a warming planet are plainly evident. Widespread drought in some places, record flooding in others. As the West Coast deals with an incredibly destructive wildfire season, the East Coast still has two months remaining in one of the most active hurricane seasons on record.

Few areas of policy debate are more important to this region, where sea-level rise and recurrent flooding pose an existential threat to the way we live, work and play in Hampton Roads. The problems caused by rising waters will only grow in the years to come.

The potential economic effects of inaction are enormous. A 2019 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research found the United States “could see a 10.5% cut in real income by 2100” if average global temperatures continue to rise. The pain will not be equally shared, of course, and will be centered of coastal communities and rural, often poor, communities without diversified economies.

So what would the next president of United States do to address these very real, very measurable concerns? One hopes Americans will find out, if not tonight, then in one of the two remaining debates.

A moderator might begin by discussing America’s energy future, including the need to expand the reach of renewable fuel sources while transitioning the economy away from fossil fuels that create harmful emissions. The candidates should discuss grid modernization and the need to improve efficiency.

They should be asked about adaptation and resilience efforts, which will need the cooperation and financial support of Washington in order to make the type of progress needed in those communities most severely threatened by climate change.

For example, the Center for Climate Integrity in 2019 estimated the total cost of Virginia’s short-term coastal defense to be $32.1 billion; other studies suggest the number could be far greater. Coincidentally, researchers at Old Dominion University in 2019 calculated the cost of a major hurricane striking the region to be about $40 billion.

That’s a question of whether public money should be spent to prepare for that eventuality or paid out in its destructive aftermath. Residents here should like to know what the next president thinks on these critical matters.

The executive branch decides how organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency operate, or how the U.S Department of Agriculture is helping farmers adapt to a changing climate, or how the nation’s weather services work on the problem and whether their proposed solutions are implemented.

It’s also true that the president, as the nation’s most important voice on the international stage, could use that voice to marshal countries to action on climate change. The United States could flex its diplomatic muscle to bring Brazil, China, Russia and India into the fold as the global community faces down this risk to all.

The potential areas of debate are limited only by imagination (and the 90-minute time limit) but the effects of our changing climate touch on all manner of subjects, from education to entrepreneurism.

The most important thing is that such a debate be grounded in fact, including the price tag and how to pay for it. Making a difference will require a massive commitment of resources and it’s critical that citizens have a clear view of the goals and how the candidates intend to get there.

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