Fires still out of control in California, scorching temperatures in part of the American West and a storm which raises fears of significant flooding in Louisiana… The American weather has been hectic to say the least in recent days. However, despite these major events, the subject of climate remains largely absent from the race for the White House. Thus, during the televised debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on September 10, climate change only occupied 2 and a half minutes of airtime.
“Kamala Harris is afraid of scaring away certain voters who might consider her too pro-ecologist,” explains François Gemenne, specialist in environmental geopolitics and migration, on franceinfo. According to him, Joe Biden’s record is “rather good, even excellent”, but the candidate believes that the issue “could cause her to lose votes”, particularly in key and more industrial states like North Carolina, Ohio or Pennsylvania. “In these states, the climate transition is perceived as a threat to employment,” explains François Gemenne.
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