Conflicting interests means climate reform is on hold
February 25, 2019
Despite recent months of activists’ marches and bombshell scientific reports, the US Congress still has passed few pieces of legislation targeted at fighting the effects of climate change. President Trump, as well as the currently GOP held Congress, remain burdened with industry ties and a base of climate skeptics, preventing legislation from being politically viable in the status quo.
In modern-era US politics, many of the most important policy initiatives have been passed unilaterally through executive order. This means that the president has great power in shaping foreign policy. In the case of President Trump, this has allowed him to take a stance on the climate change debate by taking the US out of one of the most critical attempts to curb climate change. In June 2017, Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which had provisions that would enforce lower carbon footprints for all member countries. Trump famously explained his reasoning by saying he was “elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”
Because political ideologies are fundamentally about which issues one prioritizes, the GOP base prefers protecting jobs and economic growth in the energy industry over implementing climate protection regulations. In fact, Trump made reinvigorating the coal industry a key goal during his campaign, and according to CNBC, has added 2,000 jobs to the industry since entering office. Because the conservative ideology generally opposes regulations on the basis that they stifle economic growth, the Republican base will stay opposed to climate change reform. Since politicians are elected to represent an electorate, they have a duty to abide by these policy preferences.
Another key reason the base does not support climate protection is a general attitude of skepticism. In an October interview, Trump said, “I’m not denying climate change. But it could very well go back.” This attitude is reflected among the majority of conservative Republicans, whose party currently controls the House and Senate. According to a recent Pew Research poll, only 11% of conservative Republicans say scientists are right about climate change. This skepticism allows inaction on the issue, and a belief that the effects of climate change will go away soon.
However, the tables seem to be turning on this issue. The GOP is increasingly supporting the science behind climate change as the effects become more and more clear around the world in the form of catastrophic disaster events like Hurricane Harvey and the Camp Fire that have become more common due to climate change.
Going against his party, Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo has introduced legislation to implement a carbon tax. While the bill likely will not pass into law, this demonstrated a shift to Republican engagement and action on the issue. US News reported that constituents are leading the way, with moderate and young Republicans much more concerned about the reality of climate change than the older, conservative wing of the party. If this trend continues, combined with the fact that the 2019 House session will hold a Democratic majority, it is increasingly likely that environmental legislation will stand a chance on the Congress floor soon.
Albeit, the perennial reason for the absence of reform is the powerful hold that lobbyists have on Washington DC. Open Secrets, a site aiming to promote transparency in congressional lobbying, reported that the oil and gas lobby has given a total of $99,341,774 to 184 different Congress members in 2018. In 2016 alone, then Speaker of the House Paul Ryan received $697,258 in oil and gas lobbying donations. It isn’t just one-sided; Democratic members of Congress also accept thousands of dollars of donations. Because lawmakers have a financial incentive to protect the welfare of the oil and gas industries, they have more of a reason to oppose sometimes invasive environmental legislation. For some, these donations mean whether or not they get reelected and therefore are important to their ability to get positive work done in office.
Because of a Republican base fundamentally opposed to regulations and the tight grip of energy lobbyists, climate change reform has not stood a chance in a Republican-led government. However, as Democrats take office and as Republicans undergo an attitude shift, new legislation may make its way into law in the future.