Arizona is facing a record-breaking heat wave that has killed dozens of people this summer, but some Republicans are brushing it off as normal or irrelevant. The state’s GOP is dominated by climate change deniers and skeptics who resist any efforts to address the issue, while the Democrats are calling for federal assistance and disaster declaration.
The heat wave is linked to climate change, which is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense. According to scientists, Phoenix is on track to become one of the first places in the world where summertime won’t be survivable without air conditioning. “The heat wave is a symptom of a much larger problem that we refuse to address: climate change. And we’re not just talking about the future. We’re talking about right now,” said Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat who represents parts of Phoenix.
However, some Arizona Republicans are ignoring or dismissing the heat wave as normal or irrelevant, and are influenced by fringe elements and climate change deniers and skeptics. For example, Jim O’Connor, a Republican candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities, said: “It’s just hot. It’s Arizona, it’s supposed to be hot. … What are they going to do about it? They’re going to tell us we can’t drive our cars because we’re putting emissions in the air?”
The Arizona GOP is largely opposed to any policies or actions that would address or mitigate climate change, such as renewable energy, carbon pricing, or emissions reductions. “We have a very vocal minority of people who are in denial about climate change. They have a lot of influence in the party and they have a lot of media platforms that amplify their views,” said Kirk Adams, a former Republican speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives.
The Arizona Democrats are calling for federal assistance and disaster declaration for the heat wave, and are advocating for more climate action at the state and national level. Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat and former astronaut who won a special election in Arizona last year, said: “It’s not a hoax, it’s science. And we have to wake up to it.”
The contrast between the two parties on the issue of climate change and the heat wave reflects the political polarization and division in Arizona, which has become a battleground state in recent elections. The heat wave could also have implications for the 2024 presidential race, as Arizona is expected to be a key swing state again.
Relevant articles:
– Arizona Republicans Don’t Want to Hear About the Deadly Heat Wave, by Hank Stephenson, Politico, August 9, 2023
– Why Republicans can’t get out of their climate bind, even as extreme heat overwhelms the US, by Ella Nilsen, CNN, July 30, 2023
– Climate change: Phoenix, Arizona’s worst-case heat wave could harm millions, by Umair Irfan, Vox, August 4, 2023
– There are many causes of climate denial, but science is the solution, by Michael E. Mann and Susan Joy Hassol, The Arizona Republic, June 29, 2023