This Should Only Be a Problem for a Decade or So

Unrepresentative Policy - Climate Change Series #1

Before getting into policy specifics around climate change and the environment, we should first start by taking a 20,000 ft view of American’s attitudes on Climate Change, and whether we think our government is acting appropriately. When polling about specific policy, social scientists have found that how a question is phrased is important for how people respond, so we will be including the exact question Americans were responding to:

Do you think the United States is doing enough to address climate change, doing too much, or do you think more needs to be done to address climate change?

Doing Enough (18%), 

Doing too much (10%), 

More needs to be done (64%), 

Unsure (7%)

Nearly two in three Americans think more needs to be done to address climate change! An overwhelming majority, which any competent and responsive representative government would act upon. And yet instead of action, we see not just complacency, but denial and an active effort to accelerate this catastrophe. Such suicidal nihilism is horrifying and incredibly undemocratic. The people of America and the world want a future free from deprivation and destruction. While this is certainly a politically partisan issue at the federal level, neither party escapes blame entirely. The outright anti-science zealotry of the Republicans is of course more brazen and destructive, but the timidity and cognitive dissonance on display by many on the Democratic side plays an insidious role as well.

As we will see, Americans are in strong agreement on many environmental issues and policies both directly and tangentially related to climate change. But we should keep in mind moving forward that all of these policies are in the context of a strong desire by a huge majority of Americans for the government to do more! Our politicians would do well to take note and use this strong mandate for action to be leaders we elected and not followers of a corrupt oligarchy careening us towards destruction.

Let your representatives know this issue is important to you, contact info can be found at:  https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

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