Greens’ ad backs Schatz in Hawaii

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) launched advertisements Friday in Hawaii to highlight incumbent Sen. Brian Schatz’ (D) environmental record in the primary race for his Senate seat.

Schatz has backed a national carbon tax and the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon emissions limits for power plants, and earned a rare perfect score on LCV’s environmental scorecard last year.

{mosads}“Hawaii has a special relationship with nature and our climate,” the voiceover in the television ad says. 

“Climate change threatens our way of life. It’s why Brian Schatz is holding corporate polluters that cause it accountable, taking strong action to reduce carbon pollution.”

LCV is spending about $380,000 on the campaign.

Schatz was appointed to the seat in 2012 upon Sen. Daniel Inouye’s (D) death, despite Inouye’s wish that Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) replace him. Hanabusa is now running against the incumbent senator in next month’s primary.

Schatz has been polling well in the race and has so far beaten Hanabusa in fundraising. He has also obtained endorsements from President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and others.

Daniel J. Weiss, LCV’s senior vice president for campaigns, said in a statement that Schatz is “tirelessly leading the fight to halt the climate change that will devastate Hawaii and is fighting to and hold corporate polluters accountable by requiring them to slash their emissions.”