Donald Trump came to power riding a wave of climate denial generated by the the fossil fuel industry and their minions in the GOP. Part of the standard denial strategy involves discrediting the body of evidence supporting
anthropogenic climate change.
Deniers use clever arguments to make their ignorance seem more plausible. Although there are a number of arguments related to climate action that should resonate with Republicans, thus far they have fallen on deaf ears.
The GOP ignores or maligns climate realities while supporting fossil fuels. Their contempt for science is part of their deceptive efforts to bury the truth and kill climate action. Earlier this year congressional Republicans staged sham hearings into climate change. Although 97 percent of scientists agree that man-made GHGs are driving climate change, Republicans chose to amplify the voice of deniers while criticizing the consensus view. GOP lawmakers invited testimony from three climate “skeptics” and only one mainstream scientists.
Anti-science climate deniers now own conservative political movements. They are not just coming after us they are looking to misinform our children. Conservatives are trying to take climate science out of schools and in many places children are being deprived of a fact-based climate education. This is often due to the fear mongering manipulation of organizations like the big-oil funded Heartland Institute.
The role of the fossil fuel industry in climate subterfuge including wielding considerable political influence has been well documented. During the 2016 presidential campaign all of the Republican candidates
for president simply avoided the climate change altogether. If you want
to see the glue that binds Republicans to big oil you need to
follow the money.
It is important to point out that not all Republicans subscribe to inaction on climate change. There was recently an effort from Republicans to advance the idea of a climate tax in the US. However the current administration and the current slate of Republican lawmakers are not receptive to science-based climate policy at this time.
Even though heads of state, climate scientists and business leaders all urged the president not to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, Trump opted to pull-out of the historic deal. This has implications well beyond climate and environmental considerations. Trump’s actions have rattled corporate America and investors are concerned about the risks posed by Trump’s resistance to facts.
Trump and the GOP have systematically dismantled climate action and environmental protections. However, these assaults may come back to haunt them particularly as the nexus between fossil fuel and extreme weather becomes more well known
In their haste to roll back all vestiges of climate action Trump and the GOP have slashed programs that storm ravaged communities desperately need. Just ahead of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma Trump announced that he was abandoning climate resilience and depriving Americans of storm protections. This may not bode well for Republicans in the 2018 midterms or Trump in 2020, assuming he manages to stay in office that long.
Related
Al Gore on Climate Action and Trump’s Denial (Videos)
Pope Francis & Donald Trump: Environmental Advocacy vs. Climate Denial
