Were Sandy's Winds Strong Enough to Propel Green Ballot Measures?

It's probably a sad reflection of the state of America's political discourse around climate change that mere mention of "the destructive power of a warming planet" in President Obama's victory address last night is enough to warm the hearts of those who believe action must be taken to fight its causes and mitigate its effects. But many are hoping one positive outcome of the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy is a re-energized debate about climate change and adaptation.

So, did the winds of Sandy help drive support for "green ballot measures" during yesterday's elections? The results seem to be mixed, reports Lisa Hymas. Voters in Michigan rejected "the most important clean-energy vote" of the election. And, while it may be a stretch to tie Sandy to local elections hundreds and thousands of miles away from the effected areas, it appears that at least one contest may have gotten a boost from the storm. "With images of severe storm and flood damage from the East Coast fresh in many voters' minds, Seattle residents overwhelmingly approved a $290 million, 30-year bond measure to reconstruct the aging Elliott Bay seawall," The Seattle Times reported.