John Edwards, we hardly knew ye

Anyone who cares about the climate must be sorry to see John Edwards bow out today.
Of the top three Dems, he was the only one to come out early with a comprehensive energy plan (last spring, versus last autumn for Clinton and Obama)and took much bolder positions than the other two. (No new coal plants without carbon sequestration technology, period. And no nukes.) He was also the only one to put "global warming" on the front page of his website, right there, number-one on his to-do list. The only one to keynote an address of the wonderful Step It Up rallies to demand stronger action. And etc.
There's a terrible disconnect in this campaign, with apocalyptic environmental news almost daily that's completely unreflected in debates or on the talk shows. Reporters aren't asking and the candidates aren't offering views on how they'd move this country to the huge changes and sacrifices that will be necessary in the next four years to reduce the chances of weather, disease and food-supply catastrophes related to the climate. Edwards came closest to providing the kind of leadership we've been so desperately lacking on this issue, goading the other two to take stronger positions. It still wasn't enough. But I'll still miss him.