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Can you point to any source that indicates that the GOP, broadly, is pro-nuclear and anti-CO2 like your comment suggests? I'm skeptical but genuinely open to th

by wk_end 7y ago

Can you point to any source that indicates that the GOP, broadly, is pro-nuclear and anti-CO2 like your comment suggests? I'm skeptical but genuinely open to the possibility of being corrected.

Consultant32452 7y ago
https://news.gallup.com/poll/248048/years-three-mile-island-americans-split-nuclear-power.aspx https://news.gallup.com/poll/248048/years-three-mile-island-... >Republicans (65%) are more likely than Democrats (42%) to favor the use of nuclear power. Republicans typically have been more supportive of nuclear energy throughout Gallup's trend dating back to 1994. It's true Republicans aren't as hung up specifically on CO2, but Republicans have been largely in support of nuclear since before you ever heard the phrase "climate change." If we had listened to Republicans back when it was just "clean air" we'd be in a much better position.
- Ididntdothis 7y ago
  I don't recall the GOP advocating for nuclear power. They are less opposed to it but I have never heard that they actively pursued it.
  - DFHippie 7y ago
    The GOP is interested in nuclear power because they know that since the 60s the Left has been against nuclear power. They bring it up as a way to gore the Left's ox, not as something they're actively pursuing to fight climate change. The policy they pursue is trolling and antagonizing their domestic enemies. Any effect of this on climate policy is incidental.
  - Consultant32452 7y ago
    Here's just some of the stuff from the Trump administration and Republicans in the last few years: Adds billions in loan guarantees to build nuclear plants https://www.apnews.com/38189fb0550e401da6b339ad9870a007 https://www.apnews.com/38189fb0550e401da6b339ad9870a007 Signs NEICA https://www.energy.gov/articles/president-trump-signs-bill-boost-advanced-nuclear-america https://www.energy.gov/articles/president-trump-signs-bill-b... Republican bill NELA https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/3/murkowski-booker-and-13-colleagues-reintroduce https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/3/murkow...
- wk_end 7y ago
  No one should have trouble believing that Republicans may be more pro-nuclear - even if you're pro-nuclear and take the most cynical possible view of the GOP, it's a way to produce energy and make money, why wouldn't they be? The anti-nuclear push comes from (yes, overblown) environmental concerns, and those rarely bother the GOP. But your post above very much makes it sound like the GOP is actively trying to fight climate change through nuclear power, and those darn Dems just won't let them. But since attaining power in 2016 the GOP environmental position looks to have mostly been gutting the EPA, rolling back regulations, and braying about bringing back coal ("clean air" indeed!). From here it looks like the GOP is just utterly indifferent towards climate change or the environment and extremely pro-fossil fuel; any interest in nuclear they might have doesn't appear to have much to do at all with it being a path towards clean energy.
  - Consultant32452 7y ago
    >But your post above very much makes it sound like the GOP is actively trying to fight climate change... I went out of my way to say that Republicans aren't all that concerned about CO2. So you are just reading something into my comment that isn't there. Honestly it just seems like you're unwilling or unable to see nuance. You couldn't see it in my post and you can't see it in the Republican position of simply having a different idea about how to balance strong economies and environmental concerns, both of which save human lives and improve quality of life. I mean, who do you think is digging up all that coal in Appalachia? Do you think it's a bunch of Democrats getting black lung to keep the power running? Do you really think you have anything to tell them about how dangerous it is? But at the end of the day, none of that matters. The only thing that matters is that nuclear is the only viable solution for clean grid power and Republicans support it while Democrats don't. If you want to get into the weeds about why they support it or how they're wrong about other issues or even details on this issue, then have at it. I think it's a waste of time personally.
huffmsa 7y ago
Might not be the best citation https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/23/18507297/nuclear-energy-renewables-voters-poll https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/23/1850729...

by wk_end 7y ago

Can you point to any source that indicates that the GOP, broadly, is pro-nuclear and anti-CO2 like your comment suggests? I'm skeptical but genuinely open to the possibility of being corrected.

Consultant32452 7y ago

https://news.gallup.com/poll/248048/years-three-mile-island-americans-split-nuclear-power.aspx https://news.gallup.com/poll/248048/years-three-mile-island-... >Republicans (65%) are more likely than Democrats (42%) to favor the use of nuclear power. Republicans typically have been more supportive of nuclear energy throughout Gallup's trend dating back to 1994. It's true Republicans aren't as hung up specifically on CO2, but Republicans have been largely in support of nuclear since before you ever heard the phrase "climate change." If we had listened to Republicans back when it was just "clean air" we'd be in a much better position.

Ididntdothis 7y ago
I don't recall the GOP advocating for nuclear power. They are less opposed to it but I have never heard that they actively pursued it.
- DFHippie 7y ago
  The GOP is interested in nuclear power because they know that since the 60s the Left has been against nuclear power. They bring it up as a way to gore the Left's ox, not as something they're actively pursuing to fight climate change. The policy they pursue is trolling and antagonizing their domestic enemies. Any effect of this on climate policy is incidental.
- Consultant32452 7y ago
  Here's just some of the stuff from the Trump administration and Republicans in the last few years: Adds billions in loan guarantees to build nuclear plants https://www.apnews.com/38189fb0550e401da6b339ad9870a007 https://www.apnews.com/38189fb0550e401da6b339ad9870a007 Signs NEICA https://www.energy.gov/articles/president-trump-signs-bill-boost-advanced-nuclear-america https://www.energy.gov/articles/president-trump-signs-bill-b... Republican bill NELA https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/3/murkowski-booker-and-13-colleagues-reintroduce https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/3/murkow...
wk_end 7y ago
No one should have trouble believing that Republicans may be more pro-nuclear - even if you're pro-nuclear and take the most cynical possible view of the GOP, it's a way to produce energy and make money, why wouldn't they be? The anti-nuclear push comes from (yes, overblown) environmental concerns, and those rarely bother the GOP. But your post above very much makes it sound like the GOP is actively trying to fight climate change through nuclear power, and those darn Dems just won't let them. But since attaining power in 2016 the GOP environmental position looks to have mostly been gutting the EPA, rolling back regulations, and braying about bringing back coal ("clean air" indeed!). From here it looks like the GOP is just utterly indifferent towards climate change or the environment and extremely pro-fossil fuel; any interest in nuclear they might have doesn't appear to have much to do at all with it being a path towards clean energy.
- Consultant32452 7y ago
  >But your post above very much makes it sound like the GOP is actively trying to fight climate change... I went out of my way to say that Republicans aren't all that concerned about CO2. So you are just reading something into my comment that isn't there. Honestly it just seems like you're unwilling or unable to see nuance. You couldn't see it in my post and you can't see it in the Republican position of simply having a different idea about how to balance strong economies and environmental concerns, both of which save human lives and improve quality of life. I mean, who do you think is digging up all that coal in Appalachia? Do you think it's a bunch of Democrats getting black lung to keep the power running? Do you really think you have anything to tell them about how dangerous it is? But at the end of the day, none of that matters. The only thing that matters is that nuclear is the only viable solution for clean grid power and Republicans support it while Democrats don't. If you want to get into the weeds about why they support it or how they're wrong about other issues or even details on this issue, then have at it. I think it's a waste of time personally.

huffmsa 7y ago

Might not be the best citation https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/23/18507297/nuclear-energy-renewables-voters-poll https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/23/1850729...