"From Biden vs. Trump to an oil well referendum in California, climate change debate is all over the ballot in federal, state and local contests."
"In the wake of the hottest year on record, with fossil fuel production increasing and sea levels rising, the stakes for the climate couldn’t be higher in this year’s elections.
In the presidential contest, the contrast is distinct. President Joe Biden’s massive climate initiatives and tougher environmental regulations are sure to drive turnout on both sides of the political aisle. And likely Republican nominee Donald Trump’s promises to pull the country out of the Paris climate accord again, aggressively “drill baby drill,” and repeal the Inflation Reduction Act are making headlines.
In previous election cycles, climate change was typically low on the list of voters’ concerns and largely ignored by the candidates. But it was a powerful predictor of voters’ behavior — helping boost Democrats in recent elections, according to a new study. Climate change likely cost Republicans the 2020 election, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder Center for Environmental Futures, helping pull Democrats, independents, moderate Republicans and younger voters to the polls.
The differences between the parties have grown even more stark in recent years. Back in 2008, then-Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich sat on a couch outside the U.S. Capitol for a TV ad. “We don’t always see eye to eye,” Pelosi said, to which Gingrich replied, “But we do agree our country must take action to address climate change.” "
Marcus Baram reports for Yale Climate Connections March 5, 2024.
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