Hillary Clinton: Climate changing ‘no matter what deniers may say’

Hillary Clinton argued for forceful action to fight climate change in an environmental speech on Monday night, but did not mention the controversial Keystone pipeline. 

{mosads}Clinton spoke at the dinner of the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental group, in New York, making clear her strong views on climate change. But she avoided the pipeline, which she has not taken a position on, citing her time overseeing the approval process while she was secretary of State. 

“The science of climate change is unforgiving, no matter what the deniers may say, sea levels are rising, ice caps are melting, storms, droughts and wildfires are wreaking havoc,” Clinton said, according to ABC News.

“The political challenges are also unforgiving, there is no getting around the fact the kind of ambitious response required to effectively combat climate change is going to be a tough sell at home and around the world at a time when so many countries including our own are grappling with slow growth and stretched budgets.”

But acknowledging the political challenges did not stop Clinton from calling for action. “If we act decisively now we can still head off the most catastrophic consequences,” she said. 

She expressed hope in technological advancements’ ability to make progress on the issue, calling to “dare greatly and lead boldly” in order to “protect our heritage and preserve our future.”

Clinton appeared the same night at a fundraiser for Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is facing an uphill fight ahead of a runoff election on Dec. 6. Landrieu is a leading champion of the Keystone pipeline, illustrating how thorny taking a position could be for Clinton. 

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, told reporters at the event that he was not expecting Clinton to weigh in on the pipeline, and that the group has supported Democrats in favor of the pipeline, such as Sens. Mark Begich (Alaska) and Kay Hagan (N.C.), who both lost in November.