Candidates across the political spectrum are feeling the pressure from polls showing that most Americans think global warming is a serious problem. Washington Post political blogger Chris Cilizza writes, “Polling suggests that the American public is far more aware of global warming than they were even last year.” In a recent Post poll, he observes, “One in three voters said global warming was the single biggest environmental threat facing the world.”

All the major candidates are now on record as saying that global warming is real, that it’s caused to some extent by human activity, and that government action is required to counter it. A leading presidential candidate notes that climate change has become an issue “with the potential for major social, economic and political upheaval.”

Courtney Fryxell, national coordinator of the League of Conservation Voters’ student program, affirms, “Our next President has the greatest power to lead the way in climate legislation. But to lead the way, candidates need to have a comprehensive plan, one that has substance, not just hot air.”