While climate change has stayed relatively in the background of the 2024 election cycle, the debate saw an undeniable shift, with Walz and Vance being asked about their climate positions as the second question of the night.

Matthew Huber, professor of geography and the environment, says the VP debate was “evidence of the sad state of our climate discourse.“

“One candidate [Vance] implied there's a debate whether or not carbon emissions cause climate change and the other [Walz] boasted, ‘We are producing more natural gas and more oil at any time than we ever have,’” says Huber.

“In 2020, there were real proposals like the Green New Deal that aspired to tackle the massive scale of the crisis, but sadly it appears that moment has passed,” Huber adds.

Read more in the ABC News article, “Hurricane Helene brought climate change to Walz-Vance VP debate, but was it enough?”