Louisiana Senate candidates talk climate change

Louisiana’s Senate candidates didn’t escape Tuesday night’s debate without a question on the divisive issue of climate change.

When asked if they believe in the science, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) distanced herself from her Republican opponents, saying she does believe in climate change.

{mosads}”I do believe our climate is changing and I do believe that humans contribute,” Landrieu said.

“However, we have to be very careful about the policies that we promote,” she added, noting that she is a strong supporter of fossil fuels.

Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy went the other way, saying global temperatures are not increasing.

“There might be climate change, but we are not seeing that reflected in temperatures,” Cassidy said. “We are losing our coastline but that is relative sea-level rise if you compare, that’s related to our levies on our rivers taking needed sediment from restoring our coast.”

“I’m not sure that climate change is the issue as much as it is about getting that sediment out of the Mississippi River, putting it out into the marshes where it can rebuild,” he added.

Cassidy jabbed Landrieu for saying she does not agree with the president’s energy policies, arguing her “first vote is for [Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid [D-Nev.].”

Tea Party challenger Rob Maness said there is more to learn about the climate and what makes it change, disputing the science accepted by 95 percent of the scientific community.

“I know the president, Senator Landrieu’s policy is that we need urgent action on climate change,” Maness said. “But you know, if we don’t really know how the climate changes and we aren’t seeing any warming, I think it leaves that in doubt.”

The two Republican challengers spent the majority of the debate tethering Landrieu to the president.

Landrieu is running a tight race, and Cassidy is one of the GOP’s strongest candidates to pick off a Democrat and gain a new seat for the party in the Senate.

Landrieu’s seat is critical in helping Democrats maintain control of the Senate.