With the big winter storm getting ready to bear down on the Northeast, Republicans and science deniers everywhere are getting ready to say that being cold and snowy where they are at that moment is proof that climate change is a myth. Fortunately, science is real whether you believe in it or not, and regardless of winter storms. Thankfully, many Americans live in states governed by intelligent men and women who know that global warming and climate change are real, but sadly, many states are not so lucky. Read on to find out where your state stands.
Let’s start with the good news. New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii all have governors that not only accept climate change as scientific fact, but also have strong records on the matter. Not surprisingly, all eleven of these states are run by Democrats. Governor Maggie Hassan (D-NH), for example, has a strong record of supporting climate change legislation.
“…In 2013, [Hassan] signed?two bills?into law to help lessen the impact of climate change in New Hampshire. The bills aim to give more power to state and local governments to prepare coastal communities for sea-level rise, and include the creation of a new Coastal Risk and Hazard Commission. She also signed into law?two bills?that strengthen New Hampshire’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by lowering the carbon pollution cap for power plants. Governor Hassan won re-election in 2014.”
Thirteen states have governors who accept climate change, but who have mixed records on the matter. Those states are Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, and Alaska. There are actually several Republican governors in these states, showing that some conservatives are willing to accept science. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R), for example, has said,
“Clearly, there’s dramatic things happening. I believe the science. Let’s continue to gather data and follow the science.”
Unfortunately, Hutchinson has not supported legislation that would reduce carbon emissions.
That is where the good news ends- only twenty five states have governors who accept the science of climate change. Nine states (Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) are led by governors who have not taken a firm stance one way or another, and the remaining sixteen states are led by climate deniers. Not surprisingly, all of the governors that straight up deny climate change are Republicans.
Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming are all run by climate deniers. Maine is the only state in the Northeast that is governed by a climate denier, with Governor Paul LePage (R) being one of the most outspoken. Think Progress reports:
“…He has?argued that Maine could potentially benefit from the effects of climate change,?vetoed?legislation that would help the state prepare for extreme weather,?blocked?a bipartisan bill to expand solar power, and has attempted to?dramatically reduce?the state’s renewable energy standards to benefit large corporations. He also tried to?sneak through?a proposal that would exempt the state from certain anti-smog regulations, undoing protections that have been in place for almost 25 years.”
The fact that half of the states are run by climate change deniers is concerning, and it can only be fixed during the next election cycle. If you live in a state run by someone who denies climate change, it is critically important that you get out and vote to send a clear message to the leaders of your state that climate change is real, and that they need to accept science.
