Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are both focusing on climate change in their campaigns for the 2024 presidential election. While Harris has described climate change as a “crisis,” Trump has denied its existence and spread misinformation, including discredited claims. During his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement and weakened rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions, leading to increased emissions.
Harris, on the other hand, aims to build on actions taken during her time as Vice President under President Joe Biden, such as passing the Inflation Reduction Act to combat climate change. USA TODAY reviewed the candidates’ climate-related comments from speeches and media coverage to evaluate their stances. Harris has not promoted climate misinformation, sticking to general statements, while Trump’s claims have contradicted scientific evidence.
Trump has claimed climate change is a hoax, that natural variation explains it, and that sea levels will rise only a fraction in the next 500 years. Experts have refuted these claims, noting the overwhelming evidence of climate change caused by human activities. They have also explained how cold spells do not negate global warming, and debunked the idea of a historical consensus on the Earth freezing. Trump’s statements have been criticized for being based on discredited myths and misinformation, while Harris has largely stuck to accurate general statements on climate change.
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