Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
CLOSING THE PARTISAN DIVIDE ON CLIMATE POLICY:
A CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVE
We saw in the fi rst part of this chapter that climate change has gen-
erated a sharp political divide in the United States. Some people think
that slowing climate change is a liberal cause backed by those who are
hostile to capitalism and want to bring the unfettered market to its
knees. Others believe that global warming skeptics are oblivious to the
dangers faced by many precious natural systems. While climate change
has recently become a battleground issue between Republicans and
Democrats in the United States, I believe that the partisan divide can be
bridged if we consider the high stakes and potential solutions.
This section examines the issues from a different perspective. Sup-
pose I am a conservative, libertarian, small-government advocate. But
I am no defender of big oil, and I don't think that anyone should be
allowed to despoil the earth at other people's expense. I desire a politi-
cal and economic system that is effi cient and equitable, and has maxi-
mum individual freedoms. Moreover, I desire to leave a better world for
my children and grandchildren. These environmental values cross ide-
ological boundaries, as can be seen in the following statement by the
conservative U.S. president Ronald Reagan: “If we've learned any les-
sons during the past few decades, perhaps the most important is that
preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge; it's com-
mon sense. Our physical health, our social happiness, and our economic
well-being will be sustained only by all of us working in partnership as
thoughtful, effective stewards of our natural resources.”
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So wearing my conservative hat, I consider the issues of global
warming. What would I do? To begin with, I would read the scientifi c
analyses very carefully. I would examine the arguments of the climate-
change skeptics, such as those presented in Chapter 24. I would seek out
someone who teaches earth sciences at my local university. After read-
ing the science with an open mind, I would conclude that the evidence
behind climate-change science is convincing, and the contrarian argu-
ments are, to put it charitably, very thin. Clearly there are lots of ifs,
