A panel including conservative politicians who recognize the need to combat climate change visited Syracuse University on Thursday, serving as a reminder that saving the environment doesn’t need to be a partisan issue.

The ENcourage Tour hosted a panel in SU’s College of Law to empower conservatives young and old to speak out and “reclaim their party,” especially when it comes to environmental concerns. The goal of the tour is to encourage Republicans to be vocal about climate change and other environmental issues so politicians will steer the GOP away from extremely partisan policies.

Climate change has been politicized to such an extreme that scientific facts have become arguable points, making it increasingly difficult to pass environmental legislation. The ENcourage panel — which included former Reps. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) and Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) — proudly declared its support of science and acknowledged the existence of climate change.

We should expect and demand all politicians to have a willingness and eagerness to admit the wrongdoing of their party and stand up for what they really think — even if their opinion may be unpopular among their colleagues. Shallow, bipartisan feuding does nothing for timely and significant problems like climate change.

During the event, Joe Pinion, chair of the Conservative Color Coalition, called out the Republican Party for its hypocrisy in rallying against green legislation. If the GOP can pass legislation to mitigate voter fraud when evidence suggests this problem is small, Pinion said, then it should support legislation to mitigate climate change when nine in 10 scientists agree that it is an imminent risk.

Hanna boldly noted and condemned the shift in the GOP’s values to agenda-led extremes.

“It’s not the party I joined,” he said. “We have a system that refuses to have a conversation openly and intellectually.”

Indeed, this refusal for discourse is one of the most prominent obstacles facing both sides of the aisle in American politics — environmental or otherwise.

Inglis classified the GOP’s divisions into thirds. One-third of party members are in “honest disbelief” of climate change, one-third is in “conscious disregard” of it and one-third is aware that climate change is a reality but afraid of the Republican voter. This, he said, keeps Republicans from pursuing a green agenda.

The panel blamed Democrats for why the United States lacks legislation to fight climate change, and rightfully so. Democrats often alienate those who do not embrace the green agenda wholeheartedly and fail to address low-income individuals’ reasonable economic concerns with green energy.

A majority of the panel, however, supported a carbon tax and transition to clean, renewable power. As an economic leader, Inglis said, the U.S. can set an example with a carbon tax and can lead countries like China to follow suit.

Peter Wilcoxen, a professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs who also served on the panel, said a carbon tax would incentivize creativity, innovation and problem-solving in the clean energy sector. Pinion added that the U.S. could make clean energy economically efficient and a source of new jobs if it invests in becoming a global leader in the field.

Pinion made an important point toward the end of the discussion, explaining that while President Donald Trump’s administration may ignore climate change, it has brought about a “more keenly aware electorate” — one that can now recognize who is working in the White House and what their views are.

This is one positive shift that has come out of the recent political chaos. An educated and passionate electorate — regardless of its political views and values — has the power to create significant change, so long as it remains informed and empowered.

Bailey Benzinger is a sophomore magazine journalism major and environment and society minor. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at bpbenzin@syr.edu.

Published on September 22, 2017 at 12:35 am