As of the time of this publication there are 28 declared candidates for the nomination of the Republican Party for the U.S. Presidency. A web site which tracks and curates political news, Real Clear Politics, compares 15 of these candidates in the average of opinion polls and I thought I would review where the top six stand with respect to climate change both in terms of their own beliefs and that of the the faith they claim to follow.
Religion is an important issue in american politics and this is especially true in the Republican party where candidates are very pubic about their faith and how it drives their political agenda.
Jeb Bush (16.3%) – Governor Bush reportedly admits that the climate is changing but does not acknowledge that it is a man made phenomena and pointedly rejected Pope Francis’s entry into the debate. Although he was raised in the Episcopal church, Jeb Bush became Catholic in 1994 and may find himself at odds with the church over the issue.
Scott Walker (10.6%) – The Governor of Wisconsin has not officially declared his candidacy but is taking all the usual steps including the new book and a tour of the country. As Governor, he is fighting the Obama administration’s clean energy iniciative and appears to be sympathetic to groups who question the whole idea of climate change. Walker’s father was a Baptist preacher and he describes himself as evangelical.
Ben Carson (9.8%) – On climate change, Neurosurgeon Ben Carson is reported to have said that the debate is “irrelevant” and that climate change is cyclical. His church, however, The Seventh Day Adventists does make a very clear declaration of the Rio Principals and is very much in line with Pope Francis and mainstream environmentalist groups.
Marco Rubio (9.3%) – Senator Rubio (Fla) is unambiguous in his ambiguous support of climate change deniers essentially saying that temperature cycles are normal and it is unclear what part of the current cycle is due to mankind’s contribution according to the Washington Post. Rubio is Catholic and like his mentor turned adversary, Jeb Bush, will need to figure out how to square his position with that of Pope Francis.
Rand Paul (7.3%) – The Senator from Kentucky is almost unique in the Republican line up in that he actually does acknowledge climate change as a man made problem although he does oppose President Obama’s legacy on the issue and has vowed to roll back the leglisaltion that calls for a reduction of U.S. greenhouse gasses. Paul is currently a member of the Presbyterian church which has urged its members to follow a carbon neutral life since 2006 and has an important focus on environmental matters today.
Donald Trump (6.5%) – The investor/TV star’s opionion about the issue deserves to be heard first hand in the video below as it defies any kind of critical comment. Trump professes to be a Presbyterian like Rand Paul but I very much doubt he has even read his church’s position on the issue.
As a citizen of the planet I certainly hope that Ms. Clinton wins the democratic nomination and election in 2016!
