Climate change campaigners are complaining bitterly that global
warming and greenhouse gas reduction were entirely missing from
the presidential and vice-presidential debates. However, it was
discussed — just under a different title. In every debate,
“clean energy,” “green energy,” and solar and wind power came up
at least once, in some cases repeatedly. This is indirect
climate policy: the drive to enable these technologies — which
happen to be supported by all four candidates — is primarily the
result of the belief that it is important to reduce carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions to prevent a global climate crisis.
Without climate concerns, clean and green energy would refer
only to low pollution energy sources, not to low CO2 sources
(which is an essential reactant in plant photosynthesis and in
no way a pollutant). Developed countries have been very
successful in reducing real air pollutants, such as sulphur
dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, lead, and others. With
the exception of ground level ozone, wh