Climate Avoidance, No-shows, Discord and Nepotism Mark the Start of the Republican National Convention

As an omen of what is to come, the Trump motorcade had an accident on the way to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. A Trump presidency would not only be calamitous for the economy it would likely push us past climate tipping points. Trump has indicated that he will double down on fossil fuels and this means that if Trump wins we all lose.

There continues to be determined focused resistance to Trump’s Presidential bid from almost all quarters of American society. The small but growing number of Republicans who accept climate science will not be at the convention along with a surprising number of others. Trump has little support from Hispanics, blacks, millennials and women.

Women and minorities tried to shine some light into the proceedings with an art installation focusing on the value of progressive women’s voices. The artist behind the project, Spencer Tunick, said the installation was a way for people to positively channel “their anger through art against the hateful repressive rhetoric of many in the Republican party.”

The 2016 Republican National Convention is noteworthy more for who is not attending than for those who are speaking. The speakers lineup is composed largely of Trump family and friends. Conspicuously absent are a bevy of GOP stars including John McCain, Mitt Romney, George Bush (junior and senior), John Kasich.

Although Trump does not have the support of political insiders, he does enjoy support from a number of other groups including white supremacists and bikers. There was also an armed group of Trump supporters who stood outside the convention hall ready to shoot “thugs” who get too uppity.

The list of speakers says it all. Instead of the kind of political thinkers that normally speak at these conventions, Trump has lined up an assortment of supermodels, soap opera stars and reality television personalities.

One of the highlights is Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander and star of Duck Dynasty. Although speakers like Robertson may lack political acumen, his show has good ratings and he is nothing short of a god to rednecks.

Although some Republicans are trying to convey party unity, many delegates do not appear to have gotten the memo. The #NeverTrump contingent, headed by Utah senator Mike Lee, drove the Republican leadership from the podium on the first day of the convention. Those who continue to oppose Trump claimed they had secured signatures from a majority of delegates from 9 different states or territories to keep their hope of dumping Trump alive. The powers that be refused to hear their pleas. The effort to depose Trump as the party’s nominee is far from settled. As frustrated Colorado delegate Kendal Unruh said on the convention floor, “you will see more insurgency, because, and I have nothing to do with the fact that people now know that their voices were squelched.”

Republican delegates did however pass the party’s platform which is in stark contrast to the progressive climate and environment platform passed by Democrats. One of the planks of the GOP’s climate destroying platform is borrowed directly from the Clean Coal Coalition. It involves the absurd notion that coal is an “abundant, clean, affordable, reliable domestic energy resource.”

As reviewed in a Progressive Pulse fact checking post, not only is coal a major driver of climate change it is also responsible for air pollution.

“From the mine to the pit, from the ash pond to the smokestack, coal is in reality, a very dirty form of energy. Coal-fired power plants are the biggest emitters of mercury and arsenic. They also emit numerous hazardous compounds, some of them cancer-causing, plus sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which help form acid rain.”

The convention, like Trump’s campaign, is fueled by the rage of old, ignorant white men.