Rise of the eco-right

This week, we’re going to tackle what might be in store when it comes to climate after the election. Specifically, we’re going to examine the future of the Republican party – and sketch out a scenario that could lead to full-blown bipartisan climate policy in the near-term. Maybe. We recorded this episode November 1, exactly a week before the election. At this point, the race continues to tighten. Whether or not Trump becomes president, some factions of the Republican party are already gearing up to make sure future conservative presidential candidates aren’t so out of touch with their thinking on the world’s most important issue. Our special guest this week is squarely at the center of what the emerging Eco-Right. Alex Bozmoski is the director of strategy and operations for the Energy and Enterprise Initiative at George Mason University, also known as RepublicEn, where he’s helped lead an educational initiative to help motivate his fellow conservatives on climate change. His journey from climate denier and troll to clean energy campaigner could serve as an example, in a single person, of the future of the Republican Party. Links: Check out RepublicEn: http://www.republicen.org/ Eric’s New Yorker article quoting Alex: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-the-reaction-to-trump-could-be-good-for-the-climate WA state carbon tax swap: https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Carbon_Emission_Tax_and_Sales_Tax_Reduction,_Initiative_732_(2016) FL solar ballot initiative: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Solar_Energy_Subsidies_and_Personal_Solar_Use,_Amendment_1_(2016)