Elissa Slotkin has learned that climate change is both a national emergency and a political opportunity. As an assistant secretary of defense under President Barack Obama, she helped lead the Pentagon’s first study of how climate change threatens U.S. military bases. Then as a Democratic candidate for Congress in 2018, she attacked her Republican opponent for questioning the scientific consensus on climate change—and that’s one reason she’s now a Democratic member of Congress.
The politics of climate change are changing fast, partly because global heat waves, fires in California and the Amazon, Midwestern floods and increasingly brutal storms keep focusing attention on its nasty consequences, and partly because the Green New Deal has thrust it to the center of the national conversation. Polls suggest climate change has emerged as one of the top two policy priorities for Democratic voters, rivaled only by health care.
Activists often say climate change shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but in the U.S. it still is. Democratic-controlled states like New York, California, Washington, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada and Maine have all passed sweeping bills requiring economy-wide climate neutrality by 2050 or earlier. States where Republicans hold power haven’t passed legislation like that, and the Republican Senate minority in blue Oregon managed to block a similar bill by fleeing the state to avoid a quorum. Sen.
“That’s worth underlining and bolding and italicizing,” says Anthony Leiserowitz, the director of the Yale University Program on Climate Communication. The youth-oriented Sunrise Movement was an obscure year-old organization with just 20 chapters when Ocasio-Cortez stopped by its climate sit-in at Pelosi’s office last November. It now has more than 200 active chapters that have held town halls all over the country, building pressure for the Green New Deal, accusing their elders in both parties of consigning their generation to a fossil-fueled dystopia.
In fact, six months after the Green New Deal resolution was unveiled, with far-reaching climate goals but few specific climate policies, its supporters have yet to introduce substantive legislation for achieving those goals. Meanwhile, House Democrats skeptical of the Green New Deal have introduced two alternative green blueprints, both calling for net-zero emissions by 2050, but those are also primarily plans to have a plan, not actual plans.
Trump amped up that skepticism as a candidate, dismissing climate change as a hoax manufactured in China while pledging to restore the coal industry to its former glory. That hasn’t happened during his presidency, but not for lack of trying. His administration has pushed hard to ease rules limiting pollution by coal plants and other fossil-fuel interests, heavy industry, agriculture and other major emitters of greenhouse gases.
Stop trying to divide the party it’s quite obvious
That’s what polls said in Oz. But conservatives won - people SAY they care about the environment but they care more about money. If they think their finances will be affected they will vote for conservatives! People are selfish & stupid wrongly assuming Tories manage money better
Wow! Protecting and preserving the planet we depend on for life is important!! Who would have thunk it!!
Gun controll is at the top of the list. Democrats have an on going list of issues Republicans don't want to debate.
Bwahaaa! Politico latest article on ANY FUCKING ISSUE being a 'problem' for TheDemocrats. So surprising. 'Democrats like puppies and Lizzo—and it could cost them 2020!'
No new taxes, eradicating plastics 100%, going back to the reuses of products from the 5 40’s-80’s. Glass jars and recycling paper!!!! For every tree cut, plant another, like we used to.
It would be nice if publications like politico actually educated people rather than doing the usual pearl clutching of the neo libs. For instance, you all have kids right? You want the best for them right? Then why have a fawning article over somebody that just wants SOS?
um....hello?
Gosh. I didn't realize that preventing global extinction didn't poll well. Why can't those silly Dems promote mutually-assured destruction like those popular Republicans?
Here’s why that doesn’t fucking matter. Not everything is a political calculation.
As long as the democratic party rides the short bus and licks the windows they will never have any hold on reality!
Probably because of facts like this.
Climate change is the crisis for the younger generations. They don't want to start families because of it. Baby boomers don't care about the environment, because they'll be dead soon.
Gee maybe people like living a decent life instead of starving and rummaging for berries in the woods
Has Politico retracted their antisemitic article on Sanders yet? Inquiring minds want to know.
why do the DEMOCRATS have to ALL HAVE the most stupid plans costing a fortune? if anyone REALLY JUST wanted to lower the earths temp .. Hey realDonaldTrump a SIMPLE LAW which does NOT COST ANYONE A DIME could actually LOWER global temps: 'ALL NEW Roofing Material MUST BE WHITE'
Aside from all the flying and driving they do they do while campaigning?
Politico: the climate crisis is not a political strategy.
ClimateChange climate 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
climate change is a HOAX, just like y2k!! The dems are desperate!
How many ppl have become very wealthy off of climate change? Just asking.
It could, if a single prediction of the faux calamity ever happened.
Glad the extreme left are the new bosses of the DNC. Please keep doing what you’re doing!
obummer and big michael buy a 15 million dollar beach front property while screaming we are all gonna die in 12vyears.. climate HOAX is real.
Remember this from Epstein’s apartment?
always a problem for........The Democrats!
Wait till Trump de bunks the global warming hoax,,, then Bernie will be fucked.
And AGAIN the mess that Republicans make is somehow the Democrats problem! Politico is the next Breitbart. pathetic
1/ I don't think we have to worry that Trump's base will be energized by the fight against climate change or by 'the radicalism of the Green New Deal' - they are already energized by 'their leader' - nor because the most radical followers of this they are so morons that they...
Enough . Science can’t predict the path of a hurricane. Surely it can’t predict what will happen a year in advance. Let alone ten years down the road .
EXPLAIN WHY OBAMA LET CHINA 🇨🇳 POLLUTE FOR DECADES
Lame premise & weak article. Reluctance to boldly address ClimateCrisis is as bipartisan as is maximizing campaign contributions. The latter driving the former.
There’s a difference between weather and climate change, we will always have weather no matter what location you live
Our mission at is to build the social media platform that ends fake news
2020 Democrats want to paint Trump as out of touch with the electorate on climate change, since he has undone several Obama-era policies designed to help combat greenhouse gases
Both climate and healthcare have been hijacked by socialists led by Bernie - seeking to exploit our weakened democracy to seize all healthcare market and energy industry assets, replace unions and control the job market. Trump and Bernie are two sides of the same Putin coin.
Climate Change, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall and there is not a dam thing you can do about IT!!!! Spin your wheels commie globalist dems.
Climate Change is a hoax and is being used to usher in Communism
Dear God. Please stop with the 'Democrats in Disarray' BS. Look at the Republicans.
Climate will not be the 'bread & butter' issue that will get the average voter to pull the lever for one candidate over another. I'm not saying it's not important, because it is. But it's a more abstract and complicated issue, than taxes, jobs, healthcare, etc.
Even if it is happening, need realistic policy that doesn't harm our energy sector or economy. Which noone has, voters are disillusioned with climate change after Al Gore's hoax, so I don't think it is even remotely an issue you can run on successfully.
IT will WIN ELECTIONS....dont listen to the MEDIA..they gave us TRUMP... screw them.. Science is Science..not fiction..live in reality...
Climate change being caused primarily by humans is a hoax to get taxpayers to pay a carbon tax enforced by the UN and international military police!