All right. One night, ten top Democratic Candidates answering question from voters. About one urgent issue. The Climate Crisis. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Im chris cuomo. I want to show you something that just gives you the status of the crisis. Look behind me. One side this is picture of an actual wild fire burning right now. This is just outside los angeles. California. That is one type of situation that were seeing more and more of that Scientists Say is indicative of Climate Change. On the east coast as you know, were dealing with hurricane dorian. And again, scientists tell us consistently that we are seeing more intense storms, more frequently that are more complicated by the effects of Climate Change. These are both happening right now on our watch. Question is, what will be done about it . Scientists are telling us were seeing the consequences of the Climate Crisis. They also say that we could cross a massive Tipping Point if what . If the world warms more than 1. 5 degrees celsius. Its about three degrees. We have already warmed up the planet one degree celsius since the industrial revolution. Were half way there. Young people are worried about a livable future for the planet. Its not an ab tract idea for them. We have three, 2020 candidates left to talk about this you are urgent issue. Beto orourke and senator booker. Joining us now south bend, indiana mayor pete buttigieg. Welcome. Good to see you. All right. Lets get right to the questions. Lets bring in doctor linda rudolph. From oakland, california. Director of the center or Climate Change and health. Her family home was destroyed in wild fires. We were showing one burning now. Outside l. A. So, doctor, sorry for your loss. Thank you for participating. Whats your question . Good evening. Major Health Organizations representi representing millions of doctors declared chimt change is a health emergency. Under your leadership, south bend doesnt have a Climate Action plan. Given that your own city has been slow to act, how can i and other Health Professionals be confident that you will address the Climate Health emergency with the urgency it requires and how will you do so . First of all, im sorry about what happened to your home. And we are under way on a Climate Action plan. We were one of the cities that committed joining with cities around the world to live up to the paris commitment even if the National Governments are failing to do it. Right now we have built out the capacity to assess whats happening with Greenhouse Gases in our city and act on it. We have under taken Energy Savings contracts to make the buildings more energy efficient. Set ul electric vehicle charging points and modelling whats need to happen with the future of the transportation. Because were living in a country where National Government has failed. And cities around the world beginning with the c 40 that new york was one of the first members of in 2007 have said we cant wait for the National Government to catch up. Having said that, the reality is cities cant do it alone. This is going to require action at every level of government and beyond government. We are only going to be able to tackle the climate issue when this amounts to a Major National project thatten lists the abilities of the prbl sector, private sector. And folks who up until now have often been made to feel like theyre part of the problem. Like rural america. We have to stand tall and believe this is something all of us have pride it or it wont happen. I have been catching some of the other sessions that have gone on. Were using the same language. Talking about exten shl threat and urgency. Which targets is more accurate. The question is how are we going to get it done . We have been having the same conversation for years. In order for that to happen, we have to actually unify the country. Around this project. That means bringing people to the table who havent felt they have been part of the process. This is the hardest thing we will have done in my lifetime as a country. On par with winning world war ii. Maybe more challenging than that. Is anybody really think were going to meet that goal . If between now and 2050 we are still at each others throats . It wont happen. We have to rally and that means everybody from cities to farms to the federal government to the international community. Im prepared to lead us to get it done. Quick question. You have a new proposal out about what youd do with climate. How to work using the defense department, you talk about farmers. Not as much as attention paid in the wrying to those who produce the fossil fuels and making money off it. Senator warren thats a big part of the focus on this. Going after the big companies. Is that part of your prospect . First of all. Its one of the reasons why i propose we assess a carbon tax. We might as well call it what it is. Theres a harm being tone in the same way we have taxed vigts well have to tax carbon. The difference is i propose we rebait all of the revenue we collect right back to the American People. On a progressive basis. To low and middle income americans are made whole. Well have to spend a lot of federal money in order to teal with the crisis. We get that from other sources. We need to make sure the carbon tax is on the polluters. Not on the American People especially lower income people already suffering so much and Climate Change is only going to make it harder. Lets take a question from the audience. We have aman da. From east canen, connecticut. She works on her families dairy farm and sells bio degradable flower pots made from cow manure. So the average American Dairy farmer is 58 years old. Im 34. My family is discussing the transition to the next generation. Were experiencing undprentsed weather events, economic and environmental challenges. And so i am wondering what you can do and what your plan is to bring stability back to the sector so farmers like me can meet the environmental regulations that will be put in place to combat Climate Change. And stay in business. Right. This is so important. The entire way of life is being threatened. Its hard enough without Climate Change and harder under this administration. Between the trade war and the things happening with consolidation. Making it difficult. Ub certainty is one of the biggest enemies a farmer has and were adding a lot of it. With Climate Change. Farmers have the most to lose. I believe in the clearly youre pioneering this. Rural americans can be a huge part of the solution. To me, the quest for the net zero emissions cattle farm is one of the most exciting things we might under take. It db done right now. Strictly speaking. But its unaffordable. To make it pencil out. With e need to change the economics of it. It means federal investment and investment in u. S. Da. Department of agriculture. It means investing more in the Conservation Stewardship Program for growers to make sure were doing the right things with soil management. Sounds like its hitting a nerve. You never hear about it. Scientifically, were moving away from cattle to planting. Theres the potential of our soil to take in as much as carbon as the entire transportation sector puts out. We have to unlock that. The way i see it in the same way we as a country are rightly proud of norman and the green revolution that fed a billion people. We should be as proud as the steps were about to take as country with american agriculture leading the way to green Global Agriculture in a different fashion. Imagine what it would mean if a net zero emissions cattle farm were as big a symbol of american aechlt achievement in fighting the crisis as electric vehicles. We would be so proud and it might be helpful. Coffee after church with folks you know who maybe are hesitating to embrace democratic visions of climate. It sound like were telling them theyre the problem. Thanks what youre doing. Theres so many different sensitivities. If thens. When it comes to what you do with the environment. For instance one of the elements of your plan is bye fuel. And people say the way you fertilize corn adds nitrogen to the water. And dead areas and algae blooms. Thats part of the problem. Solution becomes part of the problem. How do you get to where you need to be . The beauty of the carbon tax it lets these get sorted out without anybody in washington having to figure out the answers. We make sure the economy itself including the productive power of the private sector is driving towards solutions. If and only if the pricing actually reflects the cost of carbon. Part is making sure we rally the entire country towards really aggressive goals and that were neutral about how it gets done as long as we get it done. We wont figure out a moon shot like this, we wont have politicians figuring out every piece. Anymore than kennedy had the rocket trajectories figured out. We set the goal and challenge america to live up to it. With incentive and requirement in regulation. A progressive organizer currently supports senator warren. Whats your question . Good evening. Mayor buttigieg, for decade working class communities and communities of color have been the first to be hit by pollution. And the last to rebuild after disaster. After Hurricane Katrina twothirds of people who lost jobs were women. Black americans are three times more likely to die from pollution. How would you use the Green New Deal to bring america together and address racial, gender and economic disparity. This is such an important example of the moral stakes of dealing with climate. This is not only a question of generational justice. It is a question of social. Racial and gender justice. As you cited, communities of color and that have been disadvantaged by prejudice and hatred in the country are being made even worse off by whats happening with climate. We have seen it in south bend. Those most impacted by the flooding we have seen were those who were economically least able to deal with it. For more black kids need to be treated for asthma. Thats not a coincidence. Its a consequence of economic disempowerment and folks were red lined into neighborhoods closer to sources of pollution. Its a reason why our douglas plan for dealing with systemic racism in the country looks at everything from Economic Empowerment to housing. Health equity zones. While some of the reasons that for example black patients are at a disadvantage with Public Health out comes has what happens when they go into the Doctor Office or hospital. Its your own home or environment. Because of the factors. We Fund Communities developing Community Solutions towards Health Equity incolliding dealing with issues by climate or caused by environmental problems. Putting real dollars from washington behind the Community Plans to deliver Health Equity and justice with Environmental Issues being a driver of the problem and solution. Video question for you. This is from seth in wichita, kansas. A programmer at Wichita State university. Whats one question you would Ask Donald Trump about Climate Change during a debate . Wow. Look, i dont know that you can get to this president. By asking him a question. You cant get to him at all. Its not just him. Its all of the enablers in the congressional gop. Right . This matters. They need it know they will be remembered for generations. You can argue all the horrible things this president has done, the one that will most be remembered 50 years from now will have to do with the failure to act on climate. Thats what it will be like if this goes down in history as the time we failed to get something done. Congress is like a room full of doctors arguing about what to do over a cancer patient. Half are arguing over whether medication or surgery is the best approach. And the other half is saying cancer doesnt exist. What a disservice a life or death issue. The president is busy drawing with a sharp e on a hurricane map. Hes in a different reality. The problem is we dont have the luxury of debating whether this is an issue. I cant think of anything i could ask him other than would you please step aside and allow us to do something about this issue. Youre not ready to lead. To your point about what the aspects of persuasion are here. In a recent poll your home state indiana. 51 of people asked believed that human activity is the reason for Climate Change. And you would have to deal with the president in terms of what the administration has done to roll back things. You may not have a question. You need answers. What you say to the people who say im not so sure about this . And the people who say, well, he rolled it back. What are you going to do . Some of the things he did by executive action we can do undo. This time lets put legislation behind it. Its not at the whim of the president. I think the real issue we have to have is especially in very kons tiff places like where i live in indiana. The real conversation is about whats at stake here beyond the traditional battle lines that have been drawn. This ought to be a bipartisan issue. This once was. Now its gone completely off the rail. Lets talk about other dimensions of whats at stake. Lets talk about national security. A time when the military leaders say this is one of the greatest threats to stability. Theres a lot of evidence that the syria civil war is one of the first that was partly caused as a consequence of Climate Change. We want to talk about security lets talk about securing the lives of future generations. Lets talk in language that is understood across the heart land about faith. If you believe that god is watching, as poison is being belched into the air of creation, and people are being harmed by it. Countries are at risk of vanishing in low lying areas. What does god think of that . Its messed up. You dont have to be religious to see the moral dimension. Frankly, every religious and nonreligious moral tradition tells us that we have some responsibility of stewardship. Some responsibility for taking care of whats around us and our neighbor. Eventually it gets to the point this is less and less about the planet as an ab tract thing and more about specific people suffering specific harm because of what were doing right now. At least one way of talking about this is that its a kind of sin. Thank you very much. Lets take a quick break. Well have more of the Climate Crisis town hall. 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They do Solar Panel Installation as well as the cofounder and board president of the lets share the sun foundation. Which installs solar panels in poor parts of the world. Thank you for being a part of this. I had the pleasure of meeting your dad several years ago when he was administering the Scholarship Program at noter dame. Like most fathers he was proud of you and sought to help make a better world for his children. How you think about leaving the world a better place. To the next generation and any children you may choose to raise . Were hoping to have kids one day. And i want to know that our kids can thrive. When i got into this campaign i talked about the idea of generational justice. First people looked at me funny. Its not something talked about much. Each of us has an obligation to do our part to be just to those around us, but to those who will come in the future. And i think when were on the the campaign trail now and more and more the questions from kids are about climate. Gun violence or climate. These are personal questions. Theyre asking about whether they will be able to thrive. Again its why i think this isnt just saving the planet. This is saving the future. For specific people who are alive right now. I also frankly think of it more selfishly. Because when were talking about whether we hit this target of 2050, decarbonizing the economy. Lord willing i plan to be here. I would be in my 60s. By the time we know whether we have succeeded and could look back at 2020 and be proud of it. Or realize that were the ones who blew it. These are the years. We talk about 2030 as a deadline. In many ways 2020 is the deadline, if were not under way by the time the new president takes office. We have lost our last shot. Theres so much riding on this election. And for me and everybody i know for the children that we hope to have, for the people who will be alive at the turn of the century when if we dont change what were doing we can lose half the worlds oxygen because of the ocean. Thats unthinkable. And we owe it we cannot look in the eyes of a child with a straight face and say were doing right by them. We owe it to them to get it done before its too late. Mr. Mayor, the being the change you want to see. Air travel about 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions. Lt number of travelers obviously going up around the world. Private air travel. Therefore worse. It serves a smaller population. Second quarter filing says you campaign spent about 300 grand on private filing. Youll get the finger shake. You shouldnt be doing that if youre the green guy. Im interested in decarbonizing the fuel that goes into air travel. We wont abolish air travel. This is a big country. We can do more to provide alternatives like trains. We wont solve the question on how to get around the World Without air travel. Its the thing that we need to look at in a common sense way. The right loves to cynic their teeth into anything that seems unreasonable. But there has to be a way to make it less carbon intensive. Sometimes i take the subway. Sometimes i fly. This is a big country. Im running to be president of the whole country. It involve ts meeting voters everywhere. We do need to do more to provide alternatives to air travel. Think about the train system. In a country that views itself as the greatest and most modern and sophisticated in the world. How is it we have an inferior train system. Trains are easier to power on green basis. They run on electricity. Think what it would mean for areas like the industrial midwest. If places from indianapolis to chicago to south bend and detroit were a few hours away from each other by train. Im not even asking for japanese level trains. Just italian. And wed be way ahead. That will require policy choices and investment. We shouldnt subsidize trains they have to stand on their feet. Think about how we subsidize driving. Italian trains. Youd have a huge upgrade in food on the train. We have our chief climate correspondent. Whats your question . Every hour of every day, actually every minute of every day humanity buys one million plastic bottles. The amount of plastic produced in a year is the same as the entire weight of humanity. Recycling crisis it doesnt go away. Its in everything from salt to seafood. What would you do about this . Plenty of democratics what want to make polluters pay. Does that apply to every company that puts harmful packaging . It does. Corporations are pushing out the true kansas of what they do in a place where it cant be seen. It comes back to us. It ruins environments and habitats. Its irresponsible. Make sure we have regulations and incentive that promote things like alternatives to plastic. Theres so much going into this. By the way some is coming from sources that are being grown in the heart land of america. We have to double down on those investments and feel proud rather than guilty. When we do handle something that takes the place of plastic. Looks like plastic but is much more responsible for the environment. Question from david a retired religion professor from pennsylvania. Thank you for being here. Its not all big business fault. Car companies, manufacturer, gas guzzlers and ranchers raise livestock because we will buy the products. Do you model the kinds of spending changes that consumers need to adopt . Yeah. I try to do the right thing. I think about this when im making decisions as a consumer. Before life changed a bit for me. I trid to bike to work when i could as mayor. The reality is no individual can be expected single handlely to solve the problem. It will require national action. This is why we and the human specious invented government. For dealing with issues too big for each of us to deal with acting on our own. This is the perfect case for good government. When you look at the transition. On the consumer level. One of the big things we hear is what will moving away from fossil fuel mean. What do you do to incent vise and encourage people to move from one of the main parts of existence. How we get around every day. To electric cars . First of all this is in the climate plan. We have to make sure we have the right kind of encentive. Expand tax credits and require emissions fall to zero in production. The companies can respond the autoindustry is capable of great innovation. We have to set up the boundaries for that. The autocompanies are ahead of the Trump Administration when it was trying to pull us back. Again this is something we try to do the right thing on personally. I cant afford a tesla. We got a plug in hybrid. To embrace these technologies is phenomenal. We have to do our part to make sure the economy reflects that. Regulations are part of that. Maek sure we build a culture and em bra embrace green solution. Timing. Ill do it too but faster. Coal being removed from the economy in ten years, that sounds hyper ambitious. Is that a realistic period . We envision that taking longer. We have to do it as quickly as humanly possible. We see the consequences of this. They are upon us. Our vision which includes the carbonizing industry on a net base by 2050. Intermediate steps from vehicles and heavy vehicles and power grid are each in turn turning into net zero emissions gets us there in time. If we believe the scientists projections about when we have to do. I dont think anybody will object to doing it quicker. The issue is not the right target. I wont quibble over a five year difference. We have been wranging over the same plans for my adult lifetime. How are we going to break the log jam and actually make something happen . That will require a different level of political will. Require democratic reform so dollars cant out vote people. If the only way we can establish as a matter of american constitutional law that a corporation is different than a person, and that spending money to influence an election is different than speech. The only way we can clear that up is with an amendment to reverse citizens united. Thats what well have to do. Otherwise we see. All right. Lets bring in nancy. From new york. A retired psychology professor and fulltime volunteer climate activist. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. All people want good jobs as a Proud Union Member i say we want good dounion jobs. Everyone wants a Safety Community to live in. What would you do to ensure a Just Transition for displaced workers in the new economy. And the people from communities particularly communities of color most affected by Climate Change in your vision of a Green New Deal. And will you support the upcoming Global Student strike on september 20 for climate . So ill start with the last one is easy. Im very supportive. Yes. Thank you. Again, this is theres something abtd the moral authority of young people. Looking into the eyes of those in charge and saying what are you doing to protect us . On issues from guns to climate is part of why were finally going to see change. So we have to embrace the actions. That make it possible for the political conversation to be shaken up the way it needs to be. In terms of broader question about jobs this is extremely important in the industry midwest. Where i live. People need to see where they have a role in this future. And a role besides that of victim. We can do that. As you know a lot of the jobs being created in the Green Economy are also good paying union jobs. And jobs not all of them are exotic. Theyre good old fashion building trade jobs to do retro fits to get the Energy Efficiency with need. We can create tremendous economic opportunity. Lets be honest. About the fact that this means transition. For a lot of people. One of the reasons why my climate plan includes funds that will support everything from retirement to healthcare to transition assistance. For people who do find as a result of this national mobi mobilization. Their role in the economy is shifting. Lets be honest, this is about more than money. As important as it is to replace the income of people who income are disrupted. This is about identity. When somebody has been in a certain industry perhaps providing for their family for generations, make sure that we recognize that that has been a source of community. And identity. And purpose. As well as income. Thats why sometimes these well intentioned retraining programs at least where i come from, leave people cold. So we have to make sure that were providing the same source of pride. The same source in sense of identity. That you get from whatever your role might have been in a form of the economy that will have to transition out. You have the same sense of pride for what youre doing in helping move toward a new economy that well be proud of for generations to come. So, you have the anxiety of the worker. As david was asking earlier, theres something about the anxiety of the consumer. And the citizen. One of the things we keep being told by science is this cattle issue is a real situation. And as he was pointing out, it really is about supply and demand. If you dont want the beef they dont raise the cattle the same way. Thats a big ask. In american culture. What do you say to the americans you want to persuade who maybe arent that left . Maybe in the center or center right saying you want me to eat less beef . First of all im from indiana. I love cheese burgers. I get this is an issue. The important thing to understand is that we can have a more balanced diet and therefore a more balanced footprint and not abolish the cow. Which is what people are saying about the new green deal. Because its an easy republican talking point. Of course we need balance in all of the Consumption Patterns and part of what a carbon tax and dividend does is vets the price signal in the market. To help make that happen. Without ordering americans to abandon something that is very important to them. We change the economic signal and bring it into balance and balance is what we have lost when it comes to our relationship with creation with the earth that sustains our ability to live. Lets go to a video question. A in alabama shes ab air force reservist and School Science teacher. Heres the question. Good evening. The u. S. Military is heavily reliant on fossil fuel and a significant contributor to global greenhouse emissions. Additionally military resources and bases are at risk from Sea Level Rise and increased heat. What is your plan to ensure that the military helps to solve the Climate Crisis instead of contribute. While also prepares for the new climate reality . What a great question. Theres a lot of pieces in there. Part is the threat side. The fact Global Threats are a consequence of climate. We mention syria. As a kens kwens of climate related disruption. Its changing the threat. Bases are vulnerable. The exciting thing is that the military can be a huge part of the solution. One of the things that certainly true when i was in the military is you just figure out a way to get it done what you have been ordered to do. The military has an amazing capacity to rally to chaef what is being asked. There have been times. We think of the military as conservative institution. They have been out front relative to parts of america. And by following instructions to get something done, helped bring other parts of america along. It was true with racial integration ot armed forces and true in some measure with the end of dont ask dont tell. A workplace that is ahead of some other workplaces sadly in the country. When it comes to lgbtq equality. Harness the same ability to get things done when it comes to the biggest crisis on the plate. Make sure for example fleet and future uses of fuel are relying on bio fuel and the installed base of the military footprint is Carbon Neutral or negative. The ships and airplanes and bases the military huge purchaser of cars is leading the way in targets purchasing the vehicles that are zero carbon. My plan calls for us to do that quickly. I think the purchasing power of the u. S. Military and just the resolve of our Service Members to get stuff done when its a national priority, could help lead the way for the society. And be one more example of how we create the sense of a national mobilization. A national project. In order to deal with something that we know we will regret if we dont act fast. Thank you, mayor pete buttigieg. Well have former texas congressman beto orourke. Saying Climate Change is the greatest threat to the nation faces. Plus senator booker. Thats all ahead. Thank you mayor buttigieg. Stay with cnn. Anyone can deliver pizza. Only marcos can deliver americas most loved pizza. Hot and fresh, and right to your door. Dough made from scratch, every day. Sauce from the original giammarco recipe. And authentic toppings like crispy, old world pepperoni™. Thats italian quality pizza. And it makes the moment. Primo. Every day at marcos, get two medium, onetopping pizzas for just 6. 99 each. Hello to the italian way. Hello primo. With tough food, your dentures may slip and fall. Fixodent ultramax hold gives you the strongest hold ever to lock your dentures. 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