Global Warming is happening.
Human industry is largely responsible.
The consequences of Global Warming will be severe.
If action is taken now a lot of it can be averted.
I don't want to start a discussion about whether these statements are true or not. I think we know where people stand. I'm just interested in the political question of whether US Conservative politics could even deal with the situation where these statements are true. Conservatives are all about minimizing government, deregulating the markets and (seemingly to me) supporting the growth of large corporations.
But since the cheapest energy sources are also the ones that pollute the most, notably coal and natural gas, this results in a situation where the free market will tend to favor those actions. If humans were rational actors, they'd accept that their choices have consequences and buy accordingly. But one thing we know is that the market isn't entirely rational, and short term gain is favored a lot more than gain that happens over decades or a century.
So barring this I just don't see how Conservatives could even deal with a world where Global Warming was happening.
What do you guys think? Can the only political response to Global Warming by Conservatives in the US be to deny it?
Human industry is largely responsible.
The consequences of Global Warming will be severe.
If action is taken now a lot of it can be averted.
I don't want to start a discussion about whether these statements are true or not. I think we know where people stand. I'm just interested in the political question of whether US Conservative politics could even deal with the situation where these statements are true. Conservatives are all about minimizing government, deregulating the markets and (seemingly to me) supporting the growth of large corporations.
But since the cheapest energy sources are also the ones that pollute the most, notably coal and natural gas, this results in a situation where the free market will tend to favor those actions. If humans were rational actors, they'd accept that their choices have consequences and buy accordingly. But one thing we know is that the market isn't entirely rational, and short term gain is favored a lot more than gain that happens over decades or a century.
So barring this I just don't see how Conservatives could even deal with a world where Global Warming was happening.
What do you guys think? Can the only political response to Global Warming by Conservatives in the US be to deny it?
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