(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A conservative interest group is attempting to bring the climate change issue to the forefront of the Republican party at the upcoming presidential primary debates, the Washington Times reported.
The debate will be co-sponsored by the American Conservative Coalition, a conservative interest group which lists its “climate commitment” on its website, suggesting different ways to take action.
According to Karly Matthews, a spokesperson for the ACA, addressing climate change head-on is essential for mobilizing young voters, the vast majority of whom vote Democrat.
“Republicans need to engage on energy and climate or they’re going to lose young voters,” she said. “I think party leaders understand the importance of young people and not alienating an entire generation of voters to appeal to a fringe part of the party that doesn’t want to acknowledge climate change.”
She also noted that the issue will only become more central to political discussion as younger generations, for whom climate change is an existential crisis, get older and begin to become major voting blocs.
“This is no longer a niche young people group. This is the future, but also the present, of the conservative movement,” she said. “Climate action is not at odds with conservative principles.”
Republicans have long been wary of the climate change issue not because of denial that there are fluctuations in the global temperature, but because of questions about the role that humans have in it and the efficacy of government intervention.
Many see the climate industry as a scheme to launder government dollars into left-wing activism and impose ineffective regulations while ignoring the impact that carbon-dioxide emissions from China and elsewhere have in exacerbating the problem.
Meanwhile, the failures of the scientific community to transcend politics during the COVID pandemic are likely to do little more than fuel further skepticism that the field of so-called climate science has its own political agenda and systematically cherry-picks data to reach predetermined outcomes and conclusions.
It remains to be seen whether the topic of climate change will arise during the upcoming debate in Milwaukee, which will be moderated by centrist Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
Among the major GOP candidates expected to participate are: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
“I really feel that this field of candidates is equipped to talk on these issues,” Matthews said of the group, reserving particular praise for DeSantis, Haley and Scott. “It’s just a matter of whether or not they take the initiative to do so.”
Former President Donald Trump has signaled that he is unlikely to participate, given his substantial lead in the polls.
Christie’s presence may be in jeopardy, as well, since, in his anti-Trump vitriol, he refused to sign the Republican loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
