Does Donald Trump represent a step forward for climate change action?

[Ghost Dog]

... "My advice would be, while I’m a skeptic as well”, Trump energy honcho Kevin Cramer told ClimateWire last week, “he is a product of political populism, and political populism believes that there needs [to be] some addressing of climate change”.

Cramer, a North Dakota congressman, is as unlikely an advocate for the planet as Trump. Representing the heart of America’s shale boom – and now bust – he doesn’t stray far from the Republican line on global warming. He also rakes in handsome checks from the oil and gas industry, returning the favor by backing offshore drilling and tens of billions of dollars of investments in coal mining.

Cramer has not had a climate epiphany. He probably just looked at the data.

Nearly half of Republicans – and 72% of independents – say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who thinks climate change is a hoax. A Monmouth University poll found that two-thirds of Americans want to see their government take action on emissions. Today’s populism, it seems, includes a concern for the planet...

/... http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/16/donald-trump-energy-policy-climate-change

[Warpy]

1. Looks like everybody's casting around for a reason not to be terrified of that boor

winning the presidency. I understand the impulse but it's not going to work unless the aim is to lull more people into voting for him.

[Ghost Dog]

3. You have a point, but, as the article says...

Trump might endeavor to Make Atmospheric Carbon Levels Great Again. For those interested in a livable and more equal future, that’s not a good thing.

[pampango]

2. Trump has said many times that climate change is a hoax (perpetrated by the Chinese no less) but

he is quite good at contradicting himself every other day for political advantage so who knows.

[Ghost Dog]

4. Impossible to take his campaign proposals seriously.

Reading between the lines... Who knows?

[pampango]

5. He does make reading between the lines difficult - since he changes his lines so often.

[KamaAina]

6. In a way, yes.

His default plan would crater the global economy, resulting in far less greenhouse gases being pumped out during Great Depression Release 2.0.