At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, a conservative voter asked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio if there are free enterprise solutions to solving climate change.
“I believe there are free enterprise solutions that can make us cleaner and more energy efficient,” Rubio responded. “I think it’s already happening. American energy has, for example, figured out a way to utilize natural gas that we never knew we have access to because the American innovator figured out how to drill sideways.”
“Our automobiles today use less energy than they once did,” Rubio added. “Nuclear energy, which we know how to do better than anyone in the world, is one of the cleanest sources, yet it’s become impossible to build a nuclear plant… We’ve seen advances in wind, in solar and biofuels. I’m in favor of all that. I just don’t think the government should be artificially picking winners and losers in that regard. I think we should have a competitive market place where the American innovator can put in place strategies that won’t just make us cleaner, but will make us cheaper, more energy efficient.”
“I want us to lead the world in every energy source. I want us to have the most vibrant and the most diverse energy portfolio possible,” Rubio said. “Do I think the American free enterprise system can find solutions that make our economy healthier and also our environment cleaner, I do believe that. But we have to give them the space to do that.”
Video footage courtesy of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions.