Ben Carson Just Showed the Other GOP Candidates How to Talk About Clean Energy

Charlie Neibergall/AP


When asked at a Friday appearance in Iowa if he’d support 50 percent clean energy in the United States by 2030, GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson replied, “I want more than 50 percent.”

The 50 percent by 2030 mark comes from the advocacy group NextGen Climate, which has launched a campaign pushing candidates on the issue. And while Carson hasn’t yet released any details on how he plans to accomplish this goal—and sometimes struggles to explain what climate change is, exactly—the former neurosurgeon has recently voiced his support for green issues.

“I don’t care whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, if you have any thread of decency in you, you want to take care of the environment because you know you have to pass it on to the next generation,” he said Wednesday. “There is no reason to make it into a political issue.”

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