The War on Truth: The Shifting Beliefs of the Republican Party Regarding Climate Change

For many individuals, scientific discoveries are accepted as facts, not as lies, conspiracies, or "fake news." These strongly held beliefs in the legitimacy of science, especially regarding the topic of climate change, were previously widely accepted as facts by all political parties. There has recently been a shift in the beliefs of the Republican Party, and I am setting out to investigate why. 

To the surprise of many, Republicans in the 2000s widely accepted the fact that climate change is real. To illustrate this, in Mitt Romney's book, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, published in 2010, Romney writes, "I believe that climate change is occurring–– the reduction in size of global ice caps is hard to ignore. I also believe that human activity is a contributing factor." 
Romney openly believed in climate change, and he was even willing to acknowledge that human activity contributed to its growth. Although he strongly believed in this, his views changed in 2011. 

Although he still believes in climate change, he now does not acknowledge that humans are its main cause. Romney says at a 2011 campaign event, "My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us." Romney, along with many other Republican politicians, switched his views regarding climate change.

Even strong conservative Newt Gingrich voiced his support for working against climate change, stating in a 2007 debate, "The evidence is sufficient that we should move towards the most effective possible steps to reduce the carbon loading of the atmosphere." 

Although his stance was strong, like Romney, Gingrich's views changed with time. Gingrich later states in 2008, "I do not know if the climate is warming or not. There is some evidence the larger impact of the sun may be about to send us into a long cooling period." 

As can be seen, Republicans widely believed that climate change was real and could be attributed to human activity. Their opinions shifted as time went on. The real question is why?
Republican Senator McCain brilliantly discusses the reason for this shift in opinion and the lack of progress, stating, "It's the special interests. It's the utility companies and the petroleum companies and other special interests. They're the ones that have blocked progress in the Congress of the United States and the administration." 

Some individuals within the government side with large oil corporations because they are able to benefit from denying climate change, while others deny the science behind climate change due to political polarization. Many Republicans switched their stance on climate change shortly after Obama's election. Denial of climate change is now a popular Republican viewpoint to hold due to the polarization. As reported by the New York Times, according to Republican strategist Whit Ayres, "it's become yet another of the long list of litmus test issues that determine whether or not you're a good Republican."

Although scientific evidence regarding the proof of climate change has been growing stronger, Republicans' views against its legitimacy have been continuing to grow. Many individuals are willing to believe in things that people in power say. According to an in-class lecture, physical facts are shaped by a "social construction process". There is a lot of rhetoric within the United States about the validity of climate change, which is leading individuals to construct different beliefs. When many politicians begin to disagree with the legitimacy of climate change, their supporters begin to follow.

This change in public belief, which has been largely influenced by politicians, is seen in a New Hampshire study performed by survey researcher Lawrence Hamilton. According to this study, there is a bigger partisan divide over climate change and whether environmental sciences are trustworthy than there is over abortion and the death penalty.

Hamilton, 2014

These results are quite surprising, because the reality of climate change is based on scientific fact, not public opinion. Although this is true, it is clear that many people perceive that climate change is something that can be disputed and disagreed about. With the growing polarization in the United States, will this war on truth ever end?