Republicans Democrats

Cornerstone of platform: “we remain committed to expanding trade opportunities and opening new markets for agriculture.” “…ranching on public lands must be fostered, developed, and encouraged.” Agriculture “we believe that in order to be effective in keeping our air and water clean and combating climate change, we must enlist farmers as partners in promoting conservation and stewardship.”

“Climate change is far from this nation’s most pressing national security issue.” Climate change Cornerstone of platform: “Climate change is an urgent threat and a defining challenge of our time.” “The best science tells us that without ambitious, immediate action across our economy to cut carbon pollution and other greenhouse gases, all of these impacts will be far worse in the future.”

“We oppose any carbon tax.” Carbon tax “Democrats believe that carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases should be priced to reflect their negative externalities, and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy and help meet our climate goals.”

“We will do away with it altogether.” Clean Power Plan “Democrats are committed to defending, implementing, and extending smart pollution and efficiency standards, including the Clean Power Plan, fuel 28 economy standards for automobiles and heavy-duty vehicles, building codes and appliance standards.”

No explicit mention Corporate Accountability “All corporations owe it to their shareholders to fully analyze and disclose the risks they face, including climate risk. Democrats also respectfully request the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companies accused of misleading shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change.”

“The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a political mechanism, not an unbiased scientific institution. Its unreliability is reflected in its intolerance toward scientists and others who dissent from its orthodoxy.” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) No explicit mention

“We demand an immediate halt to U.S. funding for the U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in accordance with the 1994 Foreign Relations Authorization Act.” United Nations Framework for the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) No explicit mention

“We reject the agendas of both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, which represent only the personal commitments of their signatories; no such agreement can be binding upon the United States until it is submitted to and ratified by the Senate.” Paris agreement “Democrats share a deep commitment to … meeting the pledge President Obama put forward in the landmark Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global temperature increases to “well below” two degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

“We propose to shift responsibility for environmental regulation from the federal bureaucracy to the states and to transform the EPA into an independent bipartisan commission, similar to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with structural safeguards against politicized science.” The EPA No explicit mention

“all-of-the-above energy strategy” “We support the enactment of policies to increase domestic energy production, including production on public lands, to counter market manipulation by OPEC and other nationally owned oil companies.” Energy “We believe America must be running entirely on clean energy by mid-century. We will take bold steps to slash carbon pollution and protect clean air at home, lead the fight against climate change around the world, ensure no Americans are left out or left behind as we accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy”

“We encourage the cost-effective development of renewable energy sources — wind, solar, biomass, biofuel, geothermal, and tidal energy — by private capital.” Renewable Energy “We will streamline federal permitting to accelerate the construction of new transmission lines to get low-cost renewable energy to market, and incentivize wind, solar, and other renewable energy over the development of new natural gas power plants.”

“we will end the Administration’s disregard of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act with respect to the long-term storage of nuclear waste” “We support lifting restrictions to allow responsible development of nuclear energy, including research into alternative processes like thorium nuclear energy” Nuclear energy No explicit mention

“We respect the states’ proven ability to regulate the use of hydraulic fracturing, methane emissions, and horizontal drilling..” Fracking “Democrats are committed to closing the Halliburton loophole that stripped the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its ability to regulate hydraulic fracturing, and ensuring tough safeguards are in place, including Safe Drinking Water Act provisions, to protect local water supplies. We believe hydraulic fracturing should not take place where states and local communities oppose it.”

“We support expediting the permitting process for mineral production on public lands.” Mining “We will also oppose threats to the public health of these communities from harmful and dangerous extraction practices, like mountaintop removal mining operations.”

“coal is an abundant, clean, affordable, reliable domestic energy resource” Coal No explicit mention

“We intend to finish that pipeline and others as part of our commitment to North American energy security.” Keystone XL “We support President Obama’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.”

No explicit mention Pebble Mine “we support efforts by the EPA under the Clean Water Act to establish proactively science-based restrictions on discharges of dredged or fill material associated with a potential Pebble mine and urge that such restrictions must apply to potential mines at other metallic sulfide deposits in those drainages.”

“support the opening of public lands and the outer continental shelf to exploration and responsible production” Arctic and Atlantic offshore drilling “We oppose drilling in the Arctic and off the Atlantic coast”

“That is why we support the opening of public lands and the outer continental shelf to exploration and responsible production, even if these resources will not be immediately developed. ” “We support the enactment of policies to increase domestic energy production, including production on public lands” Fossil fuel production on public lands “We will phase down extraction of fossil fuels from our public lands, 30 starting with the most polluting sources, while making our public lands and waters engines of the clean energy economy and creating jobs across the country. Democrats will work to expand the amount of renewable energy production on federal lands and waters, from wind in Wyoming to solar in Nevada.”

“Congress shall immediately pass universal legislation providing for a timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federal government to convey certain federally controlled public lands to states.” Public Lands “we need policies and investments that will keep America’s public lands public”

“We believe in promoting active, sustainable management of our forests and that states can best manage our forests to improve forest health and keep communities safe.” Forest Service Lands No explicit mention

“We support amending the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish Congress’ right to approve the designation of national monuments and to further require the approval of the state where a national monument is designated or a national park is proposed.” Antiquities Act No explicit mention

“…the ESA has stunted economic development, halted the construction of projects, burdened landowners, and has been used to pursue policy goals inconsistent with the ESA — all with little to no success in the actual recovery of species. For example, we oppose the listing of the lesser prairie chicken and the potential listing of the sage grouse.” Endangered Species Act “Democrats oppose efforts to undermine the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act to protect threatened and endangered species.”

“We will enforce the original intent of the Clean Water Act, not it’s distortion by EPA regulations.” Clean Water Act No explicit mention

“We will…modernize the permitting process under the National Environmental Policy Act so it can no longer invite frivolous lawsuits, thwart sorely needed projects, kill jobs, and strangle growth.” NEPA No explicit mention

“We will likewise forbid the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide, something never envisioned when Congress passed the Clean Air Act. We will restore to Congress the authority to set the National Ambient Air Quality Standards…” Clean Air Act No explicit mention

No explicit mention Lead poisoning “Democrats believe we must make it a national priority to eradicate lead poisoning, which disproportionately impacts low-income children and children of color and can lead to lifelong health and educational challenges.”