Where McCain and Obama Stand on Environmental Issues

"Global warming is not a someday problem, it is now...The polar ice caps are now melting faster than science had ever predicted."

Obama supports a cap-and-trade policy to limit domestic greenhouse gas emissions and would require polluters to buyallowances.

"No longer do we need to rely on guesswork and computer modeling because satellite images reveal a dramatic disappearance of glaciers, Antarctic ice shelves, and polar ice sheets."

McCain supports a cap-and-trade policy but would distribute some allowances at no charge.

"John McCain's proposal, George Bush's proposal, to drill offshore...would not provide families any relief this year, next year, five years from now."

Obama would keep the federal ban on offshore drilling in place, arguing it would not reduce gas prices.

"It's safe enough these days that not even Hurricanes Katrina and Rita could cause significant spillage from the battered rigs."

McCain would lift the federal ban on offshore drilling but bar drilling in environmentally sensitive areas.

"I will invest $150 billion over the next 10 years in alternative sources of energy like wind power and solar power and advanced biofuels."

Obama supports tax incentives and subsidies for the development of wind and solar technologies, as well as for biofuels.

"Innovation in the use of alternative fuels in transportation presents the greatest opportunity for energy independence."

McCain opposes government subsidies for ethanol production, supports lifting tariffs on foreign ethanol, and promotes expanding nuclear energy.