A Whopping 11% Of Republicans View Climate Change As A Threat

by Michael J. Scott

The midterm elections are three weeks away and the partisan divide over one of the most dangerous threats the world has faced, climate change, is becoming clearer, and the insanity of it is mind-boggling.

Driving the news: 72% of registered voters backing Democrats in the upcoming elections view climate change as a “very big” problem, compared to just 11% of GOP supporters, new Pew Research Center polling shows.

Why it matters: It demonstrates the persistence of the partisan gulf on climate change at a time when scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm about the dangers of a warming planet.

By the numbers: That 61-point gap is tied for largest among 18 topics Pew asked about in the newly released survey that also addressed the economy, education, immigration, and many other areas.

• Pew conducted the survey just before the release of a major UN scientific report on the consequences if warming goes above 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• The 1.5°C threshold is one that the UN warns the planet is almost certain to cross absent extremely deep emissions cuts in coming years.

Quick take: The divide in Pew’s poll, taken in concert with the sobering UN conclusions, is just one example of a wider political disconnect over climate change that’s also apparent in policy circles.

• For instance, ExxonMobil recently threw its lobbying weight behind a proposal for a $40-per-ton carbon tax that would be married to the repeal of climate regulations.
• However, Exxon’s move arrived just a day after the release of the UN analysis, which found that a vastly higher carbon price is needed to rein in emissions unless combined with a “complimentary mix of stringent policies.”

The inescapable fact is the United States won’t be working to mitigate the horrific effects of climate change as long as Donald Trump is president, and that could be a frightening six more years.