According to most polls, the top concerns for Americans heading into the final stretch of the 2024 election are the economy, immigration, and crime. Much farther down that list, behind health care, abortion, and several other issues is climate change.
Given that climate change remains on the periphery for most Americans—who are much more worried about paying their bills, staying safe, etc.—I was absolutely shocked that climate alarmism was front-and-center at the one and only vice-presidential debate this campaign season.
Unbelievably, the second question of the evening was a classic climate gotcha question posed to Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH). Even worse, the question was chock-full of blatant lies and climate change propaganda.
Here is how CBS News moderator Norah O’Donnell framed the question: “Let’s turn now to Hurricane Helene. The storm could become one of the deadliest on record. More than 160 people are dead and hundreds more are missing. Scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes larger, stronger and more deadly because of the historic rainfall.”
First of all, Hurricane Helene, although a tragic event that brought death and severe hardship to many states, was not one of the deadliest hurricanes on record. Hurricanes Katrina (2005), Audrey (1957), Camille (1969), Sandy (2012), Diane (1955), Ian (1956), Agnes (1972), and Harvey (2017) were all deadlier.
Second, it is 100 percent false that hurricanes are larger, stronger, and deadlier. Here are the facts:
- “There has been no increase in hurricanes as the planet has modestly warmed.”
- “The U.N. IPCC agrees, finding no increase in the frequency or severity of hurricanes.”
- “The United States recently went through its longest period in recorded history without a major hurricane strike.”
- “The United States recently experienced its fewest total hurricanes in any eight-year period.”
- “Florida, America’s most hurricane-prone state, recently underwent its longest period in recorded history without any hurricanes.”
For an even more in-depth analysis of hurricane strikes in the United States, I highly recommend this video.
After her false framing of the topic, O’Donnell added, “Senator Vance, according to CBS News polling, seven in ten Americans and more than 60% of Republicans under the age of 45 favor the U.S. taking steps to try and reduce climate change.”
Once again, this is disingenuous at best. Although a majority of Americans may favor the U.S. government taking steps to try and reduce climate change, they adamantly oppose forking over their own money to pay for it. For instance, 68 percent of Americans oppose a $10 monthly surcharge on their electric bills to “combat climate change.” Meanwhile, 37 percent of voters would not be willing to pay a single penny per month to “address global warming.”
Finally, O’Donnell asked the question: “Senator, what responsibility would the Trump administration have to try and reduce the impact of climate change?”
Vance’s response was great. First, he put aside all partisanship and clearly articulated his deep sympathy for all those who have suffered from Helene. Next, he offered hope and pledged that he wants to “help the people in those communities rebuild.”
Then, Vance went in a decidedly different direction, questioning the bogus “science” that has been used again and again to propel the climate alarmist narrative.
“One of the things that I've noticed some of our democratic friends talking a lot about is a concern about carbon emissions,” Vance stated. “Well, if you believe that, what would you, what would you want to do? The answer is that you'd want to reshore as much American manufacturing as possible and you'd want to produce as much energy as possible in the United States of America because we're the cleanest economy in the entire world.” Amen.
Unfortunately, as Vance explained, the Biden-Harris administration have done the exact opposite.
Then, Vance took a different tack, calling out the Democrats’ hypocrisy on “green” energy.
“When we talk about ‘clean energy,’ I think that's a slogan that often the Democrats will use here.” Vance said. “I'm talking, of course, about the Democratic leadership. And the real issue is that if you're spending hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars of American taxpayer money on solar panels that are made in China, number one, you're going to make the economy dirtier.”
Lastly, Vance touched upon one of the most important aspects of the modern energy debate: “If you really want to make the environment cleaner, you've got to invest in more energy production. We haven't built a nuclear facility, I think one, in the past 40 years. Natural gas. We got to invest more in it. Kamala Harris has done the opposite. That's raised energy prices.”
Vance is correct. Under the Biden-Harris administration, energy prices have absolutely skyrocketed. In fact, the average American household has spent $2,548 more in additional direct energy costs since 2021 due to the “green” energy fantasy policies of the Biden-Harris administration.
Unsurprisingly, O’Donnell could not allow Vance to get the last word in. She could not let the American public receive a giant dose of climate realism. So, she condescendingly added, “The overwhelming consensus among scientists is that the earth's climate is warming at an unprecedented rate.” Of course, this tired talking point has been thoroughly debunked as well.
For more than two decades, the mainstream media, scientific community, academia, corporate America, government bureaucrats, and a host of other powerful entities have tried to force the climate alarmist narrative down the throat of Americans. Interestingly, this “holistic” approach, as Kamala Harris might say, has paid little dividends. The American people know what really matters and they know the actual problems that need to be addressed. Climate change consistently ranks near the bottom of Americans’ concerns. Perhaps it is time that the media and everyone else associated with the climate change industrial complex wise up and wave their white flag. Climate alarmism is waning. Climate realism, and the truth, is prevailing.
Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.