Original article from: NPR
Think “climate change activist” and a young, liberal student may come to mind.
A recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll showed climate change is the top issue for Democratic voters. For Republicans, it barely registers overall, but there is a growing generational divide.
LEFT VIEWPOINTS
Can young Republicans restore climate change reason?
- Young adults haven’t been subjected to decades of climate-change-denying propaganda as adults have.
- Most conservatives formed their opinions about climate change because of the media they take in.
- Climate change will affect the children and grandchildren of conservatives just as it will liberals.
Young adults haven’t been subjected to decades of climate-change-denying propaganda as adults have. They aren’t trapped by their own flawed assumptions and cognitive dissonance, helping them remain more objective. Young adults also have much more to lose from the climate crisis than older generations do. Older generations caused the problem. Younger generations must find ways to survive it.
Why did Republicans become the Party of climate denial and deep state theories?
Most conservatives formed their opinions about climate change because of the media they take in. Rush Limbaugh was one of the first far-right media sources who railed against it.
Right-leaning people listened to Limbaugh’s propaganda every day. When people routinely listen to someone telling them climate change is a hoax, they eventually believe that. Over time, climate change denial worked its way into the minds of the conservative base.
Fast forward to today, our Facebook newsfeed steers “news” that we want to read to us. It keeps us trapped in our current world views. The documentary, “The Social Dilemma” showed how this happens. It explains why our world is so polarized on climate change and other issues.
Politicians pander to what voters want. This meant Republican candidates who wanted votes from people who listen to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News had to at least pretend to agree with what the voters believed.
There is no reason conservatives need to oppose climate change. Doing so has forced them to entertain deep state conspiracy theories and frequent right-wing blogs that tell them what they want to believe. But mother nature doesn’t care. Climate change will affect the children and grandchildren of conservatives just as it will liberals.