No, you're not hallucinating.
The presidential candidates—most of them, anyway—are actually talking about the environment this time around. Chalk it up to rising gas prices, a growing interest in energy independence, and, yes, ubiquitous Nobel Prize winner Al Gore. Credit California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Montana governor Brian Schweitzer, too, for proving that progressive environmental policies really can pave the way to election victory—no matter which party you're in.

Just how green are the 2008 contenders? Outside's Amanda Griscom Little spent the past several months finding out. Our guide to the candidates comes direct from her exclusive interviews with every one of the Democrats and most of the Republicans. GOP front-runners Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson turned down her repeated requests for interviews, so we relied on campaign-trail statements and press coverage to suss out their environmental agendas. (Sorry, fellas, the issue is too important to let you off the hook.)

Voters often call the environment one of their biggest concerns, then fail to back that up at the polls. If you mean it this time, an informed decision starts right here.