Sunday, June 4, 2017

How Republican Leaders Became Climate Change Skeptics

Only 17% of Republicans have serious concern about climate change.  Republicans running for office don't have to worry about voter reaction to climate change skepticism.  On the other hand, they have to worry about the Koch Brothers, and their Americans for Property organization, which funds political campaigns and pays think tanks to dispute the claims of climate scientists.  Donald Trump put climate change skeptics on his transition team and he put an attorney general who sued the EPA 18 times in charge of the EPA.  This article describes the evolution of climate change skepticism in the Republican Party.  The process was aided and abetted by the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court which enabled unlimited funding of political campaigns by corporations and activists like the Koch Brothers.  The Republican Party has become the "Preservation of the fossil fuel industry party".  Paul Ryan who is the GOP leader of the House, and the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell,  supported Trump's decision to exit the Paris accord.

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