How Green Was My Rally?

From the January/February 2008 issue.

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The average American is responsible for 10 to 23 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. A presidential front-runner’s campaign can generate that much in a day. Probably mindful of criticism of Al Gore’s energy-hungry mansion and jet-setting ways, the leading Democrats have been striving to reduce their environmental footprints. For Republicans, going green is not such a big priority.

Clinton Between July and September, her campaign emitted 969 tons of CO2 and bought $11,600 in carbon offsets from Native Energy, which invests in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and biomass.

Edwards In the first half of 2007, his campaign emitted 1,836 tons of CO2 and bought $22,000 in offsets from Native Energy. Sometimes rides in a hybrid Ford Escape and has never used an RV.

Obama Logs 16,380 miles each month on charter flights. Spent $892,000 between July and September flying on Air Charter Team, which includes offsets in its price. Back home, he sometimes drives a partly ethanol-fueled GMC Yukon.

Kucinich Flies commercial and rides public transit when possible. His campaign wants to roll out energy-efficient, vegetable-oil-cooled computers housed in Plexiglas tanks. No, really.

Dodd Emits 61 tons of CO2 per month, but, to be safe, buys 88 tons’ worth of offsets from carbonfund.org, which invests in renewables and forests. Uses two hybrid Ford Escapes instead of an RV.

McCain Rides the “No Surrender” bus. The nearly broke candidate flies commercial when possible. The campaign asked its landlord in Arlington, Virginia, to shut off the AC when its HQ is empty.

Romney His campaign notes that it recycles and uses mugs instead of paper cups. Woohoo!

Giuliani Campaign rep: “I used to work for Schwarzenegger and was asked this question all the time. No one has asked me this question since I started working for Giuliani.”

Paul Did not return our calls. Does spam have a carbon footprint?

Thompson Mother Jones: We are researching the candidates’ environmental impact and what they are doing to minimize their footprints.
Campaign rep: [Silence.]
MJ: For instance, some candidates are buying carbon offsets.
CR: Are those Republican campaigns that are buying offsets?
MJ: No.
CR: [Silence.] I’m afraid I’m not going to have much for you. Let me look into it.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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