Republicans like Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum — and the Koch brothers — ignored the writing on the wall when they fought a losing battle with Pope Francis and the reams of science behind human-caused climate change. Instead, they took on more than they could chew and made sure their climate change denialism will be a major issue this election.
Here’s what happens when you’re on the losing side of an argument with the pope:
Washington Post: How Climate-Change Doubters Lost a Papal Battle. “Yet the battle lost over climate change also suggests how hard it may be for critics to blunt the power of a man who has become something of a juggernaut in an institution where change tends to unfold over decades, even centuries. More than anything, to those who doubt the human impact of global warming, the position staked out by Francis in his papal document, known as an encyclical, means a major defeat…
“In late April, the Chicago-based Heartland Institute, a free-market group that serves as a hub of skepticism regarding the science of human-caused global warming, sent a delegation to the Vatican…But [Heartland’s Communications Director] said his group did not see much of its argument reflected in the final document.”
- CNN: “Heartland… does not make its finances public, but reportedly has been bankrolled in the past by global energy giants like Exxon Mobil, as well as the Koch brothers.”
New York Times: Pope’s Position on the Climate Tests the G.O.P. “Like many Republicans, Mr. Bush and Mr. Rubio have questioned or denied the established science of human-caused climate change, and have harshly criticized policies designed to tax or regulate the burning of fossil fuels. Both of their campaigns have courted influential and deep-pocketed donors, such as the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch, who vehemently oppose such climate policies…
“Speaking at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Mr. Bush did not wait for the official release of Francis’ encyclical to criticize his foray into climate change policy…
“Half of Catholic Republicans say there is solid evidence that Earth is warming, compared with eight out of 10 Catholic Democrats. And only about a quarter of Catholic Republicans say global warming is man-made and poses a serious problem, while six in 10 Catholic Democrats agree with those statements.”
Published: Jun 22, 2015