If I had to judge the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump from a climate perspective, I would give it a C, and that’s putting it mildly. One candidate was mostly backward-looking and talked a little too positively about fossil fuels. The other said that solar panels take up too much space and something about the wife of the mayor of Moscow.

But this two-way debate would be misleading. As frustrating as it may have been for climate-conscious people — and let’s not forget, most Americans — it was clear before, during and after the debate that only one side really takes the issue seriously.