Both Barack Obama and John McCain have spoken at length (if not always in detail) about their energy and environmental proposals. And, as the economy continues into a tailspin, Americans are concerned about the prices they’re paying for gasoline, electricity, natural gas and (soon) heating oil. But what do we really know about the presidential candidates’ records on energy and the environment?

For many of us, the answer is “not much.” And it doesn’t appear that the mainstream media is going to help us in this regard: pigs and lipstick receive more attention than either candidate’s voting record, speeches, and writings on how to move the US away from its addiction to fossil fuels, and towards a robust low-carbon economy. As citizens concerned about the US’ direction on these important matters, we’re finding a real lack of information in the 24-hour news cycle.

So… let’s do something about it. Let’s start digging.

That’s right… rather than waiting for the mainstream media to do its job, Red, Green and Blue is partnering with social media start-up ReframeIt to host a “scavenger hunt” for the information we need to make informed decisions in this important election. We invite you to put on a pot of coffee, fire up the computer, and start playing investigative reporter. Your goal: break those stories about Obama and McCain’s record on energy and environmental issues that the general public isn’t hearing through the popular news media. By sharing your finds through ReframeIt, you’ll be able to get a dialogue started with all of your fellow investigators… and we’ll keep track of the most provocative finds here on RG&B.

So, how do you participate in this citizen-powered information hunt?

Sign up with ReframeIt, a new social media application that allows you to comment on the text of any website without permission of that site — you’ll find instructions at the end of this post. ReframeIt works through a browser extension (Firefox or Internet Explorer), and is a bit like taking notes in a book: you can highlight text, and comment in the “margin.” Your comments are available to other users, so you can start conversations right beside the site, article, speech, or other information that you find. When you sign up through the link below, you’ll automatically be added to the group created for this event. Get familiar with Obama’s and McCain’s policies on energy and the environment: BarackObama.com: Energy and Environment

JohnMcCain.com: Climate Change

Barack Obama’s Senate page: Energy and Environment

John McCain’s Senate page: Energy and Environment Start digging for dirt! Some of the kinds of information resources you’ll want to consult: Speeches (talks to “special interests” might be particularly revealing here)

Writings (op-eds, etc.)

Voting records (don’t forget that McCain served in the House of Representatives, and Obama served in the Illinois Senate)

Archived news articles and op-eds (home town papers will give perspectives you may not find elsewhere) When you come across something interesting, revealing, or downright damning, note it in ReframeIt.

We’ll have an RSS feed of all items added to our scavenger hunt group, so you’ll be able to keep on top of what others have found, also. And I’ll be posting regularly about some of the more interesting finds coming out of the scavenger hunt.

Remember: the easiest way to participate is to sign up through our unique link to ReframeIt: this will put you in the scavenger hunt group when you sign up.

Go get ’em… we’re really looking forward to seeing what you dig up!

Instructions for signing up with ReframeIt:

To sign-up use this link http://reframeit.com/groups/53z7JVSH9zU/members/new and follow the instructions. Just a reminder after you press the “Download Extension” button remember to:

Press the Allow button in the message strip that appears on the top of the web page Press the “Install Now” button in the window that appears Restart Your Browser by pressing “Restart Now”

Some Posts on RG&B that You’ll Find Helpful:

Obama Makes Climate and Energy Commitments at Clinton Global Initiative

Palin Taxes Big Oil’s Windfall Profits, McCain Says No!

Biden: No New Coal Plants in U.S.

Obama Fishes For Votes In The Great Lakes

… and even more on the 2008 US Presidential Election.