Over the next few months, we will feature profiles on select members of the House Climate Solutions Caucus, the bipartisan, growing gang of Congressional leaders who embrace climate action.
Rep. Mia Love, who represents the 4th district in Utah, isn’t afraid to say climate change is real and human activity causes it. “I take no shame in that,” she said, “and I hope that you’re okay with that also.”
“I think that we all have a part to play in making sure that we are good stewards of the land that we live in and that we can do something,” said Love in 2017. “And that it’s our responsibility to do everything we can to make sure that our children are not just inheriting an economically viable country but an environmentally viable country.” In an op-ed published by the Salt Lake Tribune last year, Love wrote: “Our toxic political climate threatens our ability to effectively address our physical climate. Too many individuals and organizations present false choices, pressuring individuals to choose between ideological extremes and inviable options. We don’t need to have either a thriving economy or a clean environment. We can have both. We don’t need to choose between overreaching but inefficient solutions and complete inaction we should choose neither. Our country is filled with bright minds and innovative ideas. We cannot afford to let these go to waste while we remain locked in a zero-sum game.”
In a profile about the fresh approach being taken by young GOP lawmakers, she noted, “You know there’s this idea that you’re either pro-energy production or are pro-clean airand that’s … a false narrativeyou can actually have both.” She calls the House Climate Solutions Caucus “an opportunity to come together to discuss what we’re for, rather than just what we’re against…Each of us offers a different perspective and represents a different constituency, but we share the same responsibility.” Along with Rep. Carlos Curbelo, she’s a co-sponsor of House Resolution 825, which recognizes the impacts of climate change on outdoor recreation and supports policies that address the causes and effects of climate change. At the behest of a group of student activists, her home state recently passed a landmark climate change resolution which recognizes the reality of climate change, the impact of human activity, and the state’s opportunities to respond.
RepublicEn.org looks forward to Love’s future leadership on climate change and we’d love to hang out with her in the Beehive State.