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SALT LAKE CITY — Climate change has long been viewed as more of a liberal issue, but some in the Republican Party have begun to take the subject more seriously by applying a conservative lens to addressing the growing crisis.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was asked about the salience of the climate issue within the GOP after a public appearance in Salt Lake City on Monday, and he said it will continue to grow in importance as climate disasters impact a larger number of people.
"I think as we see more effect of changing climate on people's lives, there will be a political recognition that you've got to say something about it and do something about it," he told KSL.com. "I also think as more young people become voters, there's going to be more interest in climate change and the party that denies that it exists is going to find itself out of office."
That sentiment doesn't seem to be shared by at least one of the eight Republicans vying for the Oval Office who participated in the Republican presidential primary debate Wednesday night.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — who trails former President Donald Trump by more than 40 points but is seen as a rising star in the field — took a hard stance against climate change, calling it a "hoax" and saying that more people have died from climate change policies than climate change itself.
Scientists disagree with Ramaswamy, and say that not only is climate change real, but it is exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels.
As Romney appears to anticipate a growing young electorate worried about their future on a warming planet, Ramaswamy represents a hard turn away from trying to rein in emissions and move toward cleaner energy.
The way forward on climate
Although Romney's remarks came two days before Ramaswamy's proclamation on national television, the Republican senator said it's a "challenge" for the GOP that "many of us say it's a hoax."
But don't be confused that Romney agrees with the current liberal approach to the issue.
"The Democratic Party believes in, if you will, virtue signaling, which is doing things that actually don't affect global climate at all, but they end up being very expensive and disruptive," he said. "It'd be nice to actually do things that would make a difference."
He pointed to a proposal from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., that would charge fees on foreign imports from countries that emit more carbon than the U.S.
"Yeah, that makes sense, that would make a difference," Romney said. "Putting a price on carbon: that would make a difference. ... And, of course, investing in technology, that we are beginning to do with the CHIPS Act among others. So, we're making some progress.
"I make the joke that just buying a Prius may make you feel good — but it's not going to change the climate of the planet."
What the candidates said
Romney's comment about young voters and climate change proved prescient Wednesday night, when the moderators of the debate, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, turned to a video of a young conservative who asked the candidates to raise their hands if they believed humans have contributed to climate change.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cut in before the candidates could respond, rejecting the simple yes-or-no question.
"Look, we're not schoolchildren," he said. "Let's have the debate."
Ramaswamy took a firm stance against the science behind climate change.
"Let us be honest, as Republicans, I'm the only person on the stage who isn't bought and paid for, so I can say this — the climate change agenda is a hoax," he said.
"And so the reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate change," he continued.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't answer the question directly, instead saying, "I've had enough, already tonight, of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT," comparing Ramaswamy to the artificial intelligence chatbot.
But former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley acknowledged the changing climate, adopting an approach similar to that of Romney and Cassidy.
"Is climate change real?" she asked. "Yes, it is. But if you want to go and really change the environment, then we need to start telling China and India that they have to lower their emissions."
