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Article snippet: Ten Democratic presidential contenders will make the case for their respective climate agendas Wednesday when they compete for the title of top environmental candidate. The seven-hour forum on CNN, with each participant speaking separately, will offer White House hopefuls the chance to emerge as the leading supporter of environmental defense and climate action in the wake of Washington Gov. MORE’s withdrawal from the 2020 race. The Democratic governor’s platform was almost exclusively centered on combating climate change. “What we want to see is plans that match what the science is telling us needs to happen, in terms of the pace and scale,” he added. Snagging the environmental mantle could help lesser-known candidates distinguish themselves from the crowded field, especially as climate change surges as a key voting issue for Democrats. “We’re wanting to see what candidates are going to do day one to tackle the climate crisis and how bold they’ll be on climate action,” said Jenny Marienau, political campaign manager with 350.org, a group that advocates for clean energy. Already, several environmentalists argue that Sen. MORE (I-Vt.) has filled the void left by Inslee’s departure. “Others have made good points. There are other plans that have components that need to be done,” he said. “But the Sanders plan is the plan that really does set the benchmark. It’s aggressive, but it’s what we need to do.” Sanders is polling near the top of the Democratic field — often... Link to the full article to read more