We can barely keep up with all the good news. In case you missed any, check out what the EcoRight is up to.
This week’s must watch: Alex Bozmoski takes LibertyCon by storm, participating in the panel discussion “Markets not Mandates Free Market Approaches to Clean Energy and Climate.” The lineup included Mark Pischea from Conservative Energy Network, Heather Reams from Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, Jason Saine from American Legislative Exchange Council. Watch the Best of Alex here!
This week’s must read: GOP is losing us over climate change, by Kiera O’Brien and Ben Zollinger. The presidents of College Republican groups at Harvard and Yale explain what climate denialism means for their generationand offer a solution. “Climate change is hardly going away, and offers the GOP an opportunity to turn the tables on a critical issue by showcasing the full power of our market-based and small government principles.”
Reflections on LibertyCon: Joining Alex at LibertyCon, a conference sponsored by Students for Liberty, a growing network of pro-liberty students from all over the world, were republicEn.org teammates Kevin and Wen. Posted at a table situated serendipitously next to the climate denying Heartland Institute, the trio had a blast talking to passing by students both before and after they hit the hoaxsters.
“Ninety percent of the people we talked to see climate as posing threat. Great news for us, not so much for the guy sitting next to us,” Alex said. “The appetite for climate solutions was palpable.”
“It was so exciting to meet and talk to libertarians who get the urgency of climate change and are passionate to talk about free market solutions,” said Wen. “People were willing to go on camera and talk about what climate solutions mean to them. The enthusiasm was infectious.”
“Libertarians rock,” added Kevin, in his usual soft-spoken economy of words.
Caucus numbers rising like global average temperatures: The House Climate Solutions Caucus gained another pair of members. Republican Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon from Puerto Rico is the latest to join. “In #PuertoRico we’ve experienced firsthand the consequences of rising sea levels and increasing temperatures. Addressing climate change in a bipartisan way should be a priority. Proud to join the #ClimateSolutionsCaucus!” she tweeted. She was recently the 24th Republican to sign onto the Stefanik Climate Resolution, which expresses the commitment of the House of Representatives to work constructively on creating and supporting economically viable and broadly supported solutions to climate change.
Cohn quits: Gary Cohn, the President’s director of the National Economic Council and the highest ranking carbon tax advocate in the White House, resigned yesterday amid a disagreement with his boss over steel tariffs. Nicknamed “Carbon Tax Cohn” by ousted presidential advisor Steve Bannon, he lobbied heavily for the U.S. to remain part of the Paris Climate Accord. “Coal doesn’t even make that much sense anymore as a feedstock,” Cohnalso dubbed Globalist Garysaid last year. He is one in a string of policy experts to recently announce departure.
Conservatives rise: The American Conservation Coalition, founded by Benji Backer out of his frustration with the environmental policies (or lack thereof) of the national party infrastructure, is working with college campuses to rally young conservatives around free-market solutions to environmental problems. “Knowing a lot of young conservatives who felt left behind in these issues, I realized that there needed to be an organization to represent young conservatives who believed in pro-environmental values,” Backer said in an interview with Yale Climate Connections. “Looking back at history, Republicans and conservatives were environmental stewards and made a lot of the great decisions in terms of environmental policies.”
Check out this pie chart:
Can conservatives care about the environment? pic.twitter.com/DmvEGZqvpE
American Conservation Coalition (ACC) (@ACC_National) February 10, 2018
Backer notes that “climate discussions have only revolved around big government solutions, for the most part. And if you’re a conservative and you hear that, you get turned away from that issue which is just too bad because there are so many other alternatives.” At republicEn.org, we are already getting to know this ardent EcoRight leader, and we look forward to praising more of his accomplishments.
Hoosiers go green: The Indiana Conservative Alliance for Energy (ICAE) was launched to advocate for an “all of the above” energy strategy that includes clean and renewable energy like solar and wind. “As Indiana works toward creating a next level economy, increasing the use of renewable energy is a strong signal that Indiana wants to take the lead in technology development,” said Tim Phelps, executive director of ICAE. “Developing homegrown, clean, efficient and affordable energy will help Indiana pave the way for our nation’s energy future, making the state a more attractive place to locate business and secure talent. Expanding the use of renewable energy will also allow us to have clean, healthier air and less pollution in our state and communities, something which almost all Hoosiers support.”
The group will focus on statewide policies and used positive polling released at launch to demonstrate how broad support is for clean energy. “It is a common misconception perpetuated by the media and progressives that conservatives oppose clean energy. Our poll shows that when it comes to clean and renewable sources, Indiana conservatives are already there,” he said. According to the poll, six-in-ten conservatives were more likely to support a candidate favoring an increase the use of renewable energy and over 85 percent believe the state should pursue an “all of the above” policy that includes renewable sources like wind and solar.
“Conservation is a conservative idea. And as good citizens it is our responsibility to leave the earth better than we found it for future generations,” added Phelps.
The EcoRight is ecstatic about all this good activity. Keep up the good work, and let us know what you’re up to.