Sarah Palin's green veepstakes; Obama's ethanol support

Alaska Governor/John McCain vice presidential pick Sarah Palin doesn't have a long voting record like Democratic veep candidate Joe Biden. Sizing up her 'greenness' takes a bit of legwork. Here's where to look.

Grist has a comprehensive analysis of Palin's stated opinions on eco-matters and finds a "mixed bag" of eco-actions.

The one-term governor earns praise for standing up to oil and gas companies in Alaska, yet she wrote an article in The New York Times advocating that the polar bear should not be listed as an endangered species. Palin also opposed a state ballot initiative on clean water.

In some ways, Palin's attitudes differ dramatically from McCain's moderate stance on conservation and energy independence. For example, the presidential candidate has spoken against oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but the VP candidate supports drilling in the sensitive natural area.

Our own EcoGeek offers a quick comparison of both VP candidates' opinions on clean, green technology. Check it out to see what Biden and Palin think about renewable energy.

And on the other side of the political aisle, we an interesting new endorsement was announced during the Democratic National Convention: The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) declared its support for Barack Obama. It's only the second time in 21 years that this industry group has endorsed any presidential candidate.

The ACGA has a huge interest in how the next president supports ethanol production. Unfortunately, corn-based biofuels have serious drawbacks compared to other biofuels. So environmentalists might want to think carefully about what this endorsement means and how it reflects on the candidate's energy platform.