One Day Left: Ask the Candidates About Climate Change

The October 16 debate between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney will be a town hall forum, and you have the chance to choose the questions! Google is accepting questions from the public to use in the debates, but voting ends tonight!

Fran Steidle, a supporter of conservation from Florida, has already submitted a great climate question to Google: “What actions will you take to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?”

Use the link above to see Fran’s question and click the check mark under the words “Good question” to let Google know that you stand with her. (Please note that you will need to sign in to a Google account in order to vote.)

The questions that receive the most votes are the ones most likely to be asked during the debate. By all voting YES to Fran’s question, we can make climate change — the most important threat to polar bears — an issue in the next debate!

Sea Ice Melts to Record Low

A polar bear climbs onto thin Arctic Ocean ice (Flickr/U.S. Geological Survey)
Arctic sea ice shrunk to a record lowthis summer, scientists announced recently, melting earlier and farther than at any time since tracking began — a warning that sea ice decline may be happening more quickly than previously thought.

This is devastating news for polar bears, who rely on sea ice as they hunt for food.

Despite this increasing threat facing polar bears, the presidential candidates have not been asked to compare their positions on climate change in the weeks leading up to the election.

The debate moderator failed to address global warming last week during the first presidential debate, despite over 160,000 people calling for Jim Lehrer to ask President Obama and Governor Romney about the climate crisis putting the future of wildlife at risk.

Make Climate Change Part of the Debate

We can’t expect our leaders to take action to protect wildlife from rising global temperatures unless they start talking about it now. This debate is an important opportunity to demand that the candidates tell us their plans to address climate change before Election Day.

Take ActionSpeak up for polar bears! Vote for the climate question to be used in the presidential debates.