At their national convention, GOP leaders ignored the topic of climate change. They also ignored the concerns of some Republicans—especially younger voters—who want to address global warming.
BY MARIANNE LAVELLE Inside Climate News
As a cascade of extreme weather disasters upended life across the nation this week, there was no mention of climate change during the four days of the Republican National Convention. The only party leader to refer to “climate” was President Donald Trump, who boasted about withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.
Amid devastating California wildfires, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in 50 years and the fallout from an unprecedented “derecho” storm system in Iowa, GOP leaders were silent about the science linking the increased frequency and intensity of such calamities to a warming planet.
The party made clear its calculation that voters do not require any more response from the GOP other than allegiance to Trump and his signing of emergency orders, seasoned with invective toward Democrats. Trump himself provided plenty of the latter.
“How can Joe Biden claim to be an ‘ally of the light’ when his own party can’t even keep the lights on?” he asked in his acceptance speech, contending that power outages California experienced, related to an extreme heat wave, somehow were connected to Democratic energy policy.
Trump has spent nearly four years dismantling U.S. climate policy, rolling back more than 150 environmental regulations, and opening public lands to oil and gas development. No American president has done more to eliminate environmental protection.
But in turning a blind eye to climate change, GOP leaders are ignoring the pleas of some party activists, especially young voters. A majority of Americans say they believe climate should be a top concern for the president and Congress. And polls show that the failure to back environmental protection is a major vulnerability for Republicans heading into November.
“The perception that the Republican party does not care about the environment, and the unfortunate continued perception that it doesn’t take climate change seriously as an issue is something that’s going to hurt badly,” said Quillan Robinson, vice president of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), an advocacy group started by young Republicans.
