Here we are at the end of another week. The summer is more than halfway over. Night time temperatures are not dropping like they used to and I find myself longing for the cool nights to come. But we push through…
This week’s must read: How to Unlock Republican Support for Climate Action (Heatmap)
Our friend Alex Flint from Alliance for Market Solutions penned this insightful piece that should be required reading not only for everyone identifying as EcoRight, but also our allies, especially those who understand the need for bipartisan cooperation on climate change.
“When I was quoted in the New York Times article, I described the ‘eco right’ as ‘a lonely place.’ I meant it literally. There are remarkably few conservative organizations whose primary mission is helping Republican elected officials develop serious climate policy. Few donors make climate engagement a condition of support. Few advocacy groups reward constructive leadership. Few congressional staff have access to a deep bench of conservative climate experts. Climate is far more often presented as a political liability than a leadership opportunity,” Alex writes. “In that environment, addressing climate change is rarely a priority. This largely explains what puzzles many observers — that Republican leaders often become noticeably more outspoken about addressing climate change after leaving office. The science has not changed. Their incentives have.”
If you missed the New York Times article profiling former Senator Bill Frist that he refers to, you can find it here.
The EcoRight Speaks is BACK
Buckle up, fans! Have we got a season for you!
I am so proud to bring you the first episode of season 13. As has been previewed, we have such a great lineup this very lucky season.
Kicking things off for us is the President of Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), Dr. Nat Keohane. C2ES is a widely respected, nonpartisan non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works with policy makers and leading businesses to accelerate the transition to a thriving, just, and resilient net-zero-emissions economy.
The business persepctive provided by C2ES and its corporate partners interested in climate action and clean energy policy solutions helped my former boss, Senator John Warner, reach the decision to co-author a comprehensive climate change bill with Senator Joe Lieberman.
As for Nat’s climate credentials, his background includes three decades of climate, energy and environmental policy experience in academia, government, and the non-profit sector, including at Environmental Defense Fund, the White House, and at Yale School of Management.
In this episode, he talks to us about some areas where C2ES is engaging with policymakers, with their guidance on issues like the advanced energy economy and the need for permitting reform supported by their world-class research.
Coming up next week, my conversation with Friend of the Pod Shuting Pomerleau, who will share with us her recent analysis of Virginia’s re-entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
You can find the energy and environment research she does for the American Action Forum here.
The researchers had me hooked from the start:
“Why would a young Republican back solar power but reject a carbon tax? Why would two Democrats agree that climate change is real but split over a policy that would charge households more if they exceeded a monthly limit on energy use Those patterns may go against the partisan rhetoric of our times, but they reflect the reality that Americans do not sort neatly into simple camps on climate change.”
Their deep dive into 20 years of polling on climate change yielding some interesting findings:
1. Polarization deepened after 2017 [don’t we know it]
2. Younger Republicans are more open to renewables and climate policies than older Republicans [thank you, ACC!]
3. Policy support depends on what the ask is [make it about what you gain, not what you stand to lose]
4. Education interacts with party identity in an interesting way [I bet Bob has thoughts on this]
5. Most people fall in the “messy middle” [or, as Nick Huey calls it, the “radical middle”]
The most disappointing finding: consistent opposition to a carbon tax… come on, people! I guess we have work to do.
Kittens hard at work
Pen and Darcy love to sit on my desk, on my keyboard, on my laptop… wherever they can get close to the ecoright action!
Together we hope to have a restful weekend and we wish that for you, too!