Climate change largely off US election radar

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama promised to tackle climate change when he first ran for the White House four years ago, but — battling this summer for a second term — he speaks little of the issue even as the United States suffers through a drought of historic proportions, wild storms and punishing heat that topples temperature records almost daily.

As late as April, Obama told Rolling Stone magazine climate change would be a central campaign issue. "I will be very clear in voicing my belief that we're going to have to take further steps to deal with climate change in a serious way," he said.