This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1248784
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1248784
Buried the lead.
Why? A big reason is a familiar culprit: the fossil fuel industry. Fossil fuel interests have spent the last three decades pushing climate policy conflict into the public domain. Portraying themselves as the defenders of the American way of life, they’ve sown confusion about climate science and distorted how our political elites understand the people they represent. They’ve made Republican officials think that the politically advantageous position is to deny climate change. For instance, my research shows that staffers in congressional offices that interact more with the fossil fuel industry wrongly believe their constituents don’t support climate reforms.
A non-insignificant amount of ground-level GOP support of climate change policies has existed for decades, and has been the white whale of proposed “bipartisan” solutions. However, just like with healthcare and gun control, whenever Congress got close to taking action on climate change, the GOP pulled the football away.
Its time to stop being Charlie Brown and accept that the only party willing and able to achieve climate action is the Democrats.
2 Likes
Good piece. Unfortunately trying to get Republicans to do something constructive goes against the organizing principle of the party, which is to own the libs. Making climate change measures stick will come down to whether Democrats have it in them to develop a culture of dominance rather than (often corrupt) compromise. We have about five minutes.
Unfortunately climate science denialism reigns supreme with GOP politicians. So long as their voters support them the party is hopeless.
Evangelical Churches are voting to back The Green New Deal, that tells you that the denialism adherents are loosing the argument. Unfortunately, as with many things, those in power follow the cash rather than the desires of the majority of their backers.
However, they can stonewall only so far as economic interests are overtaking the hidebound.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-can-renewable-energy-power-the-world/
I want the benefits of civilization that access to energy provides. I consider myself someone who is concerned about climate change, yet I live in a bigger house than I need, in a place that requires energy to keep warm in the winter, and requires me to drive to get food. I like to travel internationally. I use single-use plastics (milk and juice containers, plastic bags, etc.).
A lot of folks in the GOP think that being an environmentalist means living without those “benefits of civilization.” Perhaps along with saving the planet, Dems can talk about how we can preserve some of those other good things. Well, maybe not single use plastics.
I think we just need to get more democrats to vote. Fuck the Republican voters. I’m not a one man Betty Ford Center for fossil fuel addiction.
1 Like
This is not really new either. There is a clear strain of climate support in religious communities, including US evangelicals. However, it’s never been a bigger priority than judges or gay marriage or whatever culture war item is the flavor of the month. When evangelicals start voting for climate reform Dems en mass, then I’ll believe something has changed.
You can completely have all of those things using green energy and products, if you are actually willing to seek them out and change your behavior in a few minor ways. The problem with what you wrote is that it’s an absolute stance: I want everything exactly as it is now, no changes, or I won’t go along! It’s childish, really…we already know that conservation and recycling make a difference in the world, it’s not hard, and this is just the next step where we try to accomplish the same things in larger scale.
And, it’s also Republican propaganda that Democrats are demanding huge changes to the entire nation…it’s changes to the system that will be implemented over time, that will switch us over to doing things in a new way. You’ll still be able to fly internationally, and in exchange your home will be solar powered (either on your roof or by the utility). Sure, you’ll have to give up a few things, but after a short time you won’t even notice, especially when they are effectively the same as what you have now.
You can be selfish and insist that nothing change, or you can decide to take some small steps to help the change along. The first way will lead to a civilization in ruins, as wars driven by climate migration and lack of resources ravage the planet, while the second gives us a chance to move forward and survive.
2 Likes
My point was more about the rhetoric we use than the absolute value of doing them. Perhaps I am listening to too much GOP propaganda about what Dems believe - but I don’t think so. I’d like to hear a lot more about “preserving our way of life…” (and no, that doesn’t mean keeping incandescent light-bulbs)"…while using green solutions."
And we need more push-back against fringe “left” positions that tarnish the effort (hmmm, maybe like having to sail across the ocean for a climate conference).