With LCV Lifetime Score Of 2%, John Curtis (R-UT) Thinks GQP Should "Engage" & Talk About Climate
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He appeared on the Weber State webinar just before meeting with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who is in San Juan County to tour the Bears Ears area. During the discussion, which was part of a global event to discuss small- and large-scale solutions to climate change, his message shifted. “Republicans have not been engaged on this topic, and that’s a real problem for Republicans, but it’s a bigger problem for us as a country because unless we get conservatives, unless we get Republicans to engage on this topic, we can’t accomplish the goals that we’ve talked about,” Curtis said. “You can’t do this with only half of the country.”
The Republican congressman, representing Congressional District 3 — which covers Salt Lake, Utah, Emery, Carbon, San Juan, Grand and Wasatch counties — is in his second term as a representative. The League of Conservation Voters, which is an environmental advocacy group that tracks congressional initiatives that would impact the Earth, has given Curtis a lifetime score of 2% on his national environmental scorecard. The lowest score given to legislators is 0%, and the highest is 100%. His score, however, has gone up progressively as he’s served in Congress. Most recently, he was given 5% in 2020.
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That approach, Curtis argued, is how people concerned about climate change can keep it from becoming another divisive topic and get more people on board. He said people on all sides should be looking for common ground, something that hasn’t always happened. Citing clashes over public land in San Juan County and anti-renewable energy sentiments in Carbon County, which was named for its coal deposits and is a high producer of natural gas, Curtis said environmental advocates need to be more careful in their dialogue around climate change. “These good folks here in Carbon County and Emery County for decades risked their health, worked hard, broke their backs so that all of us could have warm temperatures in the winter, cold temperatures in the summer, and much of this climate dialogue has villainized them,” he said. Instead, supporters of environmental policy should focus on problems everyone can get behind, like cleaner air and water. That kind of language is what Curtis said he has had to use as he works to get more of his Republican colleagues involved in tackling climate change.
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So far, there aren’t any Republican initiatives to tackle carbon emissions to share, but Curtis has a lot of hope for the future of climate policy in the U.S. In 2019, the U.S. saw the largest overall decline in CO2 emissions, but percentage wise, the country is in the middle of the pack. Citing legislation passed by Congress last year that would cut carbon emissions, he said Americans are making progress toward tackling climate change. It’s unclear what bill he was referring to, but it may have been the inclusion of a small amount of funding for some clean energy research and development programs in President Donald Trump’s last COVID-19 relief package.
Ed. - Emphasis added.
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https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/curtis-says-republicans-need-to-engage-on-climate-change/article_5f238a60-ff93-5356-9fea-b6d9e7a04683.html
