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Climate One

Steve Schmidt and Varshini Prakash on Disrupting Climate Politics

Climate One

Climate One

News, News Commentary, Science, Earth Sciences, Social Sciences

4.7583 Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2020

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Can we break up the political logjam on climate? “The brokenness of our politics,” says Republican political strategist Stephen Schmidt, “is that we have 90% agreement on a dozen different solutions that we cannot get through the state or federal legislative processes -- because of the systemic brokenness of politics.” Not long ago, Democrats and Republicans basically agreed on climate change. Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger put California at the head of the charge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Senator John McCain crossed the proverbial aisle to co-sponsor three versions of the Climate Stewardship Act -- none of which made it through the senate. In today’s ultra-partisan climate, when even wearing a face mask is seen as a political statement, can both parties ever get on the same page? “I do think that one of the aspects, if we want to move climate change forward as an issue,” Schmidt continues, “is that the two sides, they’re gonna have to learn to speak American to each other.” Visit climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts for more information on today's episode. Guests: Steve Schmidt, Co-Founder, The Lincoln Project; Former Senior Presidential Campaign Strategist, John McCain Varshini Prakash, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Sunrise Movement, co-author, Winning the Green New Deal: Why We Must, How We Can (Simon & Schuster, 2020) This program was recorded on September 18 and September 24, 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.7

How does a climate crisis figure in our national politics?

0:34.8

Climate One features energy companies and environmentalists, Republicans and Democrats,

0:39.5

the exciting and the scary aspects of the climate challenge. I'm Greg Dalton.

0:48.4

Fiery young people and historic wildfires have propelled climate disruption onto the agenda

0:53.4

during this presidential

0:54.5

election. Later in the show, we'll hear from Varshney Prakash, leader of the Sunrise

0:58.8

movement that has effectively moved Joe Biden and other Democrats toward bolder climate action

1:03.9

in line with the science. Republicans, for their part, are still denying or downplaying the

1:09.0

threat. As evidenced by Amy Coney Barrett's comment

1:11.7

during her confirmation hearing, that climate change is controversial. Not long ago, Democrats and

1:18.6

Republicans basically agreed on climate change. Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put

1:23.4

California at the head of the charge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Senator John McCain

1:28.4

crossed the aisle to co-sponsor three versions of the Climate Stewardship Act, none of which

1:32.9

made it through the Senate. Since then, climate change has become a partisan issue, despite the

1:37.6

fact that its effects touch the lives, jobs, and communities of every American. Political

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