Why Democrats aren’t talking about climate change much anymore
https://grist.org/politics/democrats-arent-talking-about-climate-change-cheap-energy/
by Generalaverage89
Why Democrats aren’t talking about climate change much anymore
https://grist.org/politics/democrats-arent-talking-about-climate-change-cheap-energy/
by Generalaverage89
35 comments
Because most people would rather the world end in a preventable fireball than make the slightest changes to their lifestyle or diet?
The Dems have other things to talk about, like the Epstein files…
Hint, Duopoly. Hint, follow the money.
>voters in battleground states are more concerned with affordability and health care. But when asked which issue they think the Democratic Party prioritizes, climate change was number one.
You need to meet people where they are.
Democrats won’t speak on climate change because preserving the world through preventing climate change or global warming, does not get votes due to the ignorance of whomever shows up to the polls. It is global warming when every new month is the hottest on record. No one cares because they won’t be around when the ocean boils, that is for another generation.
Probably because of this.
[https://news.gallup.com/poll/651719/economy-important-issue-2024-presidential-vote.aspx](https://news.gallup.com/poll/651719/economy-important-issue-2024-presidential-vote.aspx)
Even before last year’s election, climate change was second to last in importance, above only transgender rights. At the top, where it always is, was the economy.
Now is always going to be more important than later, and climate change is still perceived by most as a problem for later.
A problem is it’s not clear which climate disaster will come first. The oceans are in tough shape, for example, and a collapse of that ecosystem could be first. Or maybe just “living in the southern half of the USA has become impossible.” Most likely are food supply issues, maybe?
Trump is not interested – their focus needs to be on getting rid of Trump…
Frankly, the Dems are providing no leadership. Take the new Trump ballroom. Dems should announce that it in 2029 it will host a year long display of how the Trump administration destroyed American Civil Rights laws. We could be leading on literally every topic.
Most democrats I know rank saving our democracy over climate change right now. We can’t accomplish *anything* otherwise.
There is no non-radical future.
To do anything about it, you first need to get elected. To get elected, you have to speak to whatever the voters feel is important. Unfortunately, they have other things on their minds right now.
Also, frankly, you have to tailor your message to the art of the possible so that people do not become disenchanted with a lack of results. There isn’t a ton that can be done on the climate front when Democrats do not control any levers of federal power.
Because conservatives are right to think that effective climate solutions mean big-government socialism and higher taxes. To get most people in the rich world aboard we’d need stronger wealth redistribution, taxing the rich in order to pay for refits and heat pumps in every home, electric cars or transit for every citizen, high-speed intercity rail rather than air travel, etc..
Conservatives are also right to think that this means taxing rich countries that caused this mess in order to pay poor countries to develop clean energy rather than coal or gas fired power plants.
Let’s be real. We cannot solve this with incremental changes around the edges. In Naomi Klein’s words, this changes everything.
lets be serious… we need to consume less… who is going to run and win on that platform for the long haul?
even what little the dems have done… its no where near enough… like a magnitude or two off. most voters dont want to hear consume less… fly less… use ai less… drive less… cow less…
Politically pragmatic argument moving forward is the cost savings and jobs that renewables provide.
When your primary Democrat puts on a clown nose during a live national debate and proclaims how much THEY LOVE FRACKING…you know your answer. Next please
Because getting the government and individuals to do the right thing has been futile. I will continue to emit very little carbon, but I’ve paused going to the Citizens Climate Lobby meetings because it’s too discouraging
Democrats discovered two things:
1. American voters are astoundingly stupid and ill-informed (and prefer to remain that way).
2. Most people just don’t seem to care that we are destroying the very planetary ecosystem that we require to survive (see #1). If they cared, they would have shown up at the voting booth in 2024.
Follow the money.
Because there’s likely 84367126 different Republican created dumpster fires going on, with at least 5 new ones created on a daily basis.
When dealing with a fire hose of chaos, it’s difficult to provide each and every issue the necessary attention. Especially when public opinion wanes due to them not being able to provide attention to everyone’s personal top issue.
I would say it is because the climate change movement has an issue discussing issues with older industries as a whole. It has only been effective at getting support for going aganist newer industries . When the effects of system justification die down it dies down. Climate activism needs to reconstruct itself to target older industries too though ironically this may also be why some democrats dont talk about it either too
Politicians don’t actually care about people or the planet — they just care about staying in power and keeping their wealthy backers happy. The system rewards whoever can lie with a straight face and step on others to climb higher. It’s the same mentality you see in corporate CEOs — charisma on the outside, emptiness on the inside. That’s why nothing real ever gets done about climate change or inequality; the job literally filters out anyone who actually gives a damn.
We cannot even convince Americans that vaccines are good for you. This anti-science movement is crazy.
Democrats are just trying yo stay afloat and keep democracy in America. Nothing will happen with climate change anyway until Republicans are out of office.
I’ve read a lot of very good articles about climate change that are very concerning and I feel like, if you care enough to look at what the researchers are finding, it’s hard to come to any conclusion other then that this is a threat IN OUR LIVE TIMES. And then I see all the data centers that they are putting in and it’s obvious that that is just going to throw the world further into chaos. And I’ve come to the conclusion that the masses are better off not knowing. In reality, if everyone believed the end is coming soon, I don’t think society would hold up.
Dems do have a problem with messaging. Like the article says abstract ideas don’t resonate when people are struggling. The idea of the Dems coming up with a “cheap energy act” after an ” inflation reduction act” leaves people incredulous and wondering if Dems think they are stupid.
Best to do things like Biden did with accelerating nuclear power plant builds. After 40+ years since the global warming initiative started why did this not happen much sooner? Let’s find more practical ways to address the climate without it becoming a religion, doesn’t involve political shenanigans and can be seen by many to have practical benefits with climate as the cherry on top and not the sundae.
I’d prefer they not talk about anything too far left and actually start winning elections and then deal with keeping us from killing the planet once we are back in a sane place
To be honest I think that preventing the rise of fascism is the most urgent concern. There will be no meaningful climate action under a fascist regime. With respect to clean energy, I feel like there are too many people making money off fields of solar and the like for it to disappear, but maybe I’ll be proven wrong
Because it has become politically unpopular. The average person prioritizes putting food in the table today vs tomorrow. The climate policies have driven up cost of living and restricted economic growth.
There’s a cause-and-effect in place as the conversation about climate change has been erased from the corporate and billionaire owned media
There’s also a massive disinformation campaign, such as the “cost shift” lies spread by Governor Newsom.
Part of it is the fact that it is now scientifically impossible to stop without technology that doesn’t actually exist yet.
But more importantly, it is politically impossible to fight because if the needs for infinite economic growth and the eventual wars to be waged over resource scarcity. Kind of hard to be “environmentally friendly” while at tye same time engaging in massive world wars…
Although Raytheon is [trying…](https://imgur.com/a/PMMwrrF)
Dems can’t do anything unless they get elected.
Humans are very slow to recognize the early stages of exponential change, or any very slow change. The “anecdotes’ of extreme weather records being broken at an increasing and alarming rate flows right into the “just weather” and “not in my back yard” thinking.
The last human alive might finally get it. We’ve only been warned since about 1910.
Because they were always in the pockets of corporate polluters.
What is there to be said that hasn’t been said already?
Dems do what they can when “we the people” have voted sufficient numbers into office to to overcome repub obstructionism and denial, but there ain’t much gonna get done until “we the people” do it
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