OPINION
GUEST ESSAY
I’m a Young Conservative, and I Want My Party to
Lead the Fight Against Climate Change
April 27,
2024, 7:00 a.m. ET
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/opinion/climate-change-conservatives-gen-z-voters.html
By Benji
Backer
Mr. Backer
is the founder and executive chairman of the American Conservation Coalition.
Conservatives
were once America’s environmental champions. Not that long ago, Republican
presidents were carrying out the Clean Air and Water Acts, creating the
Environmental Protection Agency, expanding the National Park System and even
initiating the country’s most authoritative report on climate change, the
National Climate Assessment.
But times
have changed.
Many of
today’s Republican leaders stoke fear and anger by mocking the most divisive
climate activists while claiming that every environmental solution is a radical
one. If they’re not doing that, Republicans can often be found on the sidelines
and disengaged from the issue completely.
Instead of
continuing the environmental legacy they were once known for, they have ceded
the fight against climate change to Democrats, putting themselves on the wrong
side of history. Not a single Republican voted in 2022 for the Inflation
Reduction Act, a bill that is funneling hundreds of billions of dollars in
federal funds to red states and blue states alike for climate mitigation and
resilience projects. And it has cost them: A recent working paper from the
University of Colorado, Boulder, found that opinion on climate change was one
of the strongest predictors of whom independents voted for in 2020, probably
giving President Biden enough of an edge to tip the election in his favor. In
other words, Donald Trump’s denial of climate change probably cost him the
White House.
The
Democratic Party has also alienated voters with calls for an immediate
transition from fossil fuels and with the Green New Deal’s top-down,
one-size-fits-all approach. For someone like me who grew up surrounded by
farmland, the Democratic messaging on climate has felt elitist, condescending
and out of touch with a large portion of America’s needs. When Gov. Gavin
Newsom of California essentially forces people in his state to purchase
electric vehicles by ordering that new gasoline-powered cars be banned within
15 years or Mr. Biden suggests that coal workers “learn how to program,” it can
feel as though people’s day-to-day realities are completely cast aside.
The fact of
the matter is this: We cannot address climate change or solve any other
environmental issue without the buy-in and leadership of conservative America.
And there are clear opportunities for climate action that conservatives can
champion without sacrificing core values, from sustainable agriculture to
nuclear energy and the onshoring of clean energy production.
Climate
change around the world: In “Postcards From a World on Fire,” 193 stories from
individual countries show how climate change is reshaping reality everywhere,
from dying coral reefs in Fiji to disappearing oases in Morocco and far, far
beyond.
The role of
our leaders: Writing at the end of 2020, Al Gore, the 45th vice president of
the United States, found reasons for optimism in the Biden presidency, a
feeling perhaps borne out by the passing of major climate legislation. That
doesn’t mean there haven’t been criticisms. For example, Charles Harvey and
Kurt House argue that subsidies for climate capture technology will ultimately
be a waste.
The worst
climate risks, mapped: In this feature, select a country, and we'll break down
the climate hazards it faces. In the case of America, our maps, developed with
experts, show where extreme heat is causing the most deaths.
What people
can do: Justin Gillis and Hal Harvey describe the types of local activism that
might be needed, while Saul Griffith points to how Australia shows the way on
rooftop solar. Meanwhile, small changes at the office might be one good way to
cut significant emissions, writes Carlos Gamarra.
In my
visits to communities from Texas oil country to the South Side of Chicago to
cattle ranches in Wyoming, I’ve seen how it’s possible to bridge the divide.
Conservatives might have disengaged from the issues over the past several
decades, but voters often tell me they’re ready to jump back into the
conversation. After all, as farmers, ranchers, foresters or just people who
enjoy hunting and fishing, many conservatives have a stake in the health of
their environment.
What
they’re eager for are solutions that work for them.
In
Orangeville, Utah, I recently met with coal workers looking for new ways to
utilize coal instead of burning it. This small community, surrounded by one of
Utah’s beautiful mountain ranges, expressed genuine pride in exploring options
to improve its local air quality and the global climate. People also knew their
example could help other coal-reliant communities dealing with the same
economic hardships. Showing voters these kinds of examples is far more
effective than telling them to “learn to program.”
Liberals
often point out that the Republican Party’s ties to the fossil fuel industry
have prevented a shift toward climate action, and while it’s true the industry
has a history of obstructing climate policy and supporting many Republican
elected officials, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Conservative
politicians tell me they just don’t want their constituents to have their oil
and gas jobs ripped from them. But now that many fossil fuel companies are
pursuing climate action faster than the Republican Party, it’s clear there may
be a way to keep those jobs while reducing emissions.
I’m hopeful
that the party can do more to lead on these issues. Over the past seven years,
I’ve met with over 100 Republican federal lawmakers who want to fight climate
change. Many still refrain from saying it out loud (fearing their base will
turn against them), but some have begun to speak out publicly. The Conservative
Climate Caucus is now one of the largest in the House, with nearly 100 members.
Republicans also helped pass the Growing Climate Solutions Act, a 2021 law that
incentivizes farmers, ranchers and foresters to reduce their emissions with tax
credits through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As a member
of Gen Z, I believe it’s time for my generation to mobilize around climate
solutions that bring both sides to the table — and demand our leaders do the
same. Liberals must stop denigrating and abandoning key communities they need
to solve the problem, and conservatives must stop denying the problem and take
ownership of climate solutions. If the Republican Party wants to expand its
coalition, it will need to recruit young voters with a far more pragmatic
message.
This
environmental movement will look slightly different from what the Democrats
have built. We firmly believe fossil fuels must be part of our transition to
cleaner energy sources for years to come. So our movement will aim to improve
the environmental impact of all energy sources, not just wind and solar. We’ll
also focus on ecosystem restoration and other conservation measures that lower
emissions. And we’ll call on policymakers to prioritize permitting reform,
reducing government overreach and making it easier to build clean energy
projects in the United States more quickly.
We share
the effects of climate change and environmental degradation equally across
political parties. But until conservatives join in this conversation, much of
the country’s ideas, needs and contributions will be missing from the dialogue.
Benji
Backer is the founder and executive chairman of the American Conservation
Coalition and the author of “The Conservative Environmentalist.”
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