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"CNN" featured Environmental Law student Robin Happel ’22 in "What happened during CNN's climate town hall and what it means for 2020"
CNN's marathon town hall Wednesday night put the climate crisis closer to the center of a presidential election than ever before.
Ten Democratic candidates took to the stage as Hurricane Dorian menaced the East Coast and at a time when the impact of a warming Earth is no longer just a vision of a catastrophic future but is increasingly visible.
At times, candidates waged a bidding war to show liberal activists their plan was the most audacious -- and even expensive. But with an eye on November 2020, others warned against throwing the economy out of the window.
The contenders, who all embrace the science of climate change, offered voters an alternative to a President who views climate change as a "hoax" and slams their "dreams and windmills."
But Donald Trump's mocking tweets and GOP rapid response attacks during the event reflected the risks Democrats run: While going big on climate is the price of entry in their presidential race, it's yet to be proven as a shrewd general election strategy.
Watch the Climate Change Town Hall
