Tackling Climate Change and Threats to Our Republic

Republican and democrat mascots representing how each party is pushing against the other. (AdobeStock_736873512)

Dr. Beth Malow and Bruce Morlan

The United States, like much of the world, is confronting two colossal, interwoven challenges. On one hand, we are grappling with the increasingly urgent threat of climate change — a force capable of destabilizing our ecosystem, economy, and way of life. On the other hand, threats to our republic are on the rise both at home and abroad, weakening the very political system we rely on to address such global crises. At a moment when visionary, effective leadership is needed more than ever to confront climate change, our political system is consumed by partisan gridlock and dysfunction.

This state of affairs is untenable. To tackle these twin challenges, we need to write a new script, one that embraces the logic of bipartisanship.

We, the authors here, are from opposite political camps. Our political peers have very different views of these issues and the conversations we have within our respective political groups barely acknowledge any common ground. “Conflict entrepreneurs,” a term coined by author Amanda Ripley, describes those driven to stir up conflict for economic or other motives. And extremists in our groups ensure that any efforts to find shared solutions are quickly labeled as “compromise” (now a four-letter word in politics) or as outright surrender. But we recognize that merely working within our peer groups will not create lasting policies. We must maintain respectful and meaningful conversations with all stakeholders to ensure that our compromises are more enduring than purely partisan solutions can ever be.

One of the fundamental shortcomings of the U.S. environmental movement is its failure to build a truly bipartisan coalition. To date, less than 1% of climate philanthropy has flowed to right-of-center organizing and advocacy, even though a significant portion of the American public identifies as “conservative” or Republican. The practical result is that the environmental movement has become more partisan than the society it seeks to serve. This dynamic not only limits the climate movement’s reach but also misses an opportunity to create a broad-based, bipartisan mandate for action — a political necessity if we are to address the climate crisis at the necessary scale, speed and political durability. 

This is a problem we can fix. At its heart, democracy is about persuasion — about talking to our fellow citizens, winning hearts and minds, and building common ground. That same principle applies to climate action. We need to engage more of our fellow citizens in the cause of protecting our shared environment, including those who may not traditionally align with environmental causes. Polling shows that while roughly two-thirds of Americans are worried about climate change, a similar percentage rarely or never discuss the issue with family and friends. There is an untapped well of potential support for climate action, and it crosses party lines.

Polarization is actively used to keep us divided by sowing fear, uncertainty and doubts about any attempts to create a shared reality with shared solutions. Many Americans, particularly young people, are losing faith in the ability of our nation to deliver on the issues they care about most. Yet climate action offers a unique opportunity to restore that faith. What better way to renew hope in the American political system than by showing it can tackle climate change — an issue young people rank as one of their top concerns — through bipartisan cooperation?

Republican lawmakers, in particular, have expressed a desire for a stronger mandate from their constituents for climate action. These lawmakers are constrained by a perceived lack of support for climate solutions within their base, who are often driven by conflict entrepreneurs. By investing in right-of-center organizing, we can help create the conditions for these lawmakers to step forward on climate action without fear of reprisal. This strategy not only benefits the environment but also reinvigorates our democracy by encouraging a more responsive and effective legislative system. 

At its core, democracy is about active participation, dialogue, and shared responsibility. Climate change presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring people together in defense of a common cause: the preservation of the planet we all call home. 

In this way, climate action, far from being a casualty of democracy’s dysfunction, can become a catalyst for its renewal. The same strategies that can unite the country in addressing environmental decay can also reverse the trends of democratic decay. 

In the end, the fight against climate change and the fight for a stronger republic are not separate battles but interconnected struggles that require similar solutions: engagement, dialogue, and consensus-building. With smart strategy and civil society investments, we can create a healthier planet and a more functional political system in the process. The stakes are too high to continue business as usual. We must take a new approach — one where climate action and democratic renewal go hand in hand, securing a brighter future for generations to come.