In fact, in the post-debate coverage the moderator, Candy Crowley said “I had that question for all of you climate change people,” but that she wanted go “go with the economy” –completely missing the point that shifting to renewable energy and building energy efficient technology is critical to creating jobs and revitalizing our economy. At the same time, the impacts of climate change are causing widespread damages in the U.S. and globally.

The avoidance of climate change by the media and the candidates must end before voters go to the polls on Election Day.

Urgent Threat to Polar Bears

New satellite data just revealed that polar bears’ Arctic ice melted to a new record low this summer–retreating from areas at the edge of the Arctic Ocean where polar bears most need the ice to hunt for seals–and leaving many of the bears desperate for food.

Every summer, a portion of Arctic ice melts and then forms again in the fall, but the ice is melting earlier and melting more now than any other time on record. In fact, the area of Arctic ice that melted this summer was an incredible 49% above the average from 1979 to 2000. The additional ice that melted is an area nearly double the size of Alaska.

In the face of the urgent threat polar bears, we must ensure that voters hear whether candidates running for Congress or the Presidency support using more clean energy and setting strong limits on carbon pollution to address climate.

Presidential Candidates Must Address Climate Change

In 2009–when strong legislation to fight climate change passed the U.S. House and had the backing of President Obama–the only thing stopping us were a few pro-Big Polluter members of the U.S. Senate. Making climate change a part of this year’s election issues is critical to being able to address global warming.

Polls are showing that undecided voters–who the candidates want to sway–care deeply about climate change.  Make sure climate change is once again in the national spotlight, so that voters can find out which candidates plan to fight climate change before they cast their ballot.

We have an opportunity in these next few weeks to get climate change back in the national spotlight before Election Day by urging Bob Schieffer, the moderator of the final presidential debate, to ask the candidates their positions on addressing climate change.

Be a voice for polar bears–shine the spotlight on climate change before Election Day.