The weaponization of climate solutions: Unveiling the divisive culture war
The battle for climate solutions turned into a divisive culture war, fueled by right-wing media and triggering attacks on Green party politicians Amidst the chaos, unexpected social acceptance for extreme ideologies emerged
The controversy started with a legislation concerning heat pumps and ultimately led to politicians being targeted with thrown stones, resulting in a rise in support for far-right ideologies. Germany provides a notable example of how the issue of climate change has become a significant point of contention in the ongoing cultural and political conflicts.
The Green Party, as part of the coalition government, has put forward a proposed law to prohibit almost all new oil and gas heating systems in favor of more energy-efficient heat pumps. However, the swift and severe backlash from many Germans, already struggling with high food and energy prices, was fueled by fears of substantial upfront costs for homeowners, which were stoked and weaponized by the populist far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Reframed as an unaffordable luxury by its opponents, the law was dubbed the "heating hammer" by critics. Miranda Schreurs, a professor of environment and climate policy at the Technical University of Munich, referred to the pushback as "moving into your house and deciding what you can and can't do." She also noted that there was a lot of misinformation surrounding the issue.
Anger transformed into demonstrations, which escalated into violence. In September, Green politicians faced a barrage of stones during an election event in southern Germany. The following month, the AfD made significant gains in the state elections. Despite eventually passing a watered-down version of the law, it was a catastrophe for the government.
Kristin Brinker of the far-right AfD stands in front of an election poster that reads "Climate activists belong in jail!" at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin on January 21, 2023.
Photograph by Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance/Getty Images
Climate solutions and policies shifting from abstract concepts to personal lifestyle choices, such as transportation, food consumption, and household heating, have sparked intense emotions of anger and fear. This has exacerbated an ongoing culture war. Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Bristol, noted that advocates of these narratives often portray the world as divided between "virtuous" ordinary people and corrupt, indifferent "elites."
Cracking towers stand at the Ruwais refinery and petrochemical complex, operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), in Al Ruwais, United Arab Emirates.
Christophe Viseux/Bloomberg/Getty Images
A UAE company has secured African land the size of the UK for controversial carbon offset projects
In September, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak weakened important climate targets and positioned himself as a champion for motorists against the strong beliefs of climate advocates. "I am putting a stop to the campaign against motorists," Sunak stated in a video shared on X, as he postponed a ban on the sale of new gas and diesel cars.
Similar rhetoric has been employed in various European regions. Prior to the recent elections in Poland, the populist right-wing Law and Justice party alleged that the opposition aimed to outlaw meat and compel individuals to consume worms. Additionally, Spain's far-right Vox party promised to protect the nation from "the new climate religion."
But to understand why climate change and the culture wars have become so enmeshed globally, experts say the United States probably holds the key.
An agenda to control you
In September, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, stood in front of a West Texas oil rig and criticized the Democrats' climate and clean energy policies as a direct attack on freedom. "This is all part of an agenda to control and dictate your actions," DeSantis stated. "They are attempting to restrict your options as Americans and constrain your aspirations."
This rhetoric is ominous, yet it is not a new phenomenon. An American conservative could have delivered the same speech decades ago, according to Michigan State University sociologist and climate expert Aaron McCright. "And why has it endured? It is effective, it does instill fear in people."
Panorama on Lake Como, with the ski lifts closed, present on Monte San Primo.
Daniele Mezzadri/iStockphoto/Getty Images
A ski resort in Italy forced to close due to climate change is set to reopen using artificial snow, but this decision has sparked mixed reactions. The roots of the climate culture conflict in the United States can be traced back to the early 1990s, when a renewed effort for global climate action clashed with significant geopolitical shifts, according to McCright.
In 1992, over 100 countries came together to address the issue of planet-warming pollution through a treaty that was later expanded by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. This required major developed nations to decrease their climate pollution from coal, oil, and gas.
At the same time, the collapse of the Soviet Union created a void for a common adversary among Americans.
"The long-feared communist threat that has been vehemently opposed by the American right for years has dissipated, leaving behind no more recognizable enemy," stated McCright. He noted that the environmental agenda served as a fitting substitute in many respects. "Climate change has become a symbol for all the government's shortcomings," he explained. "You can't dictate what I can or cannot do on my own property. Keep your distance, federal government."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Permian Deep Rock Oil Company site during a campaign event on September 20, 2023 in Midland, Texas.
Fossil fuel companies knew about the climate impact of their products as early as the 1970s, according to numerous studies. Despite this knowledge, they invested significant funds into discrediting climate science by launching a propaganda campaign in the early days.
The bipartisan consensus on climate was shattered by these events. Republican politicians, who had previously been aligned with Democrats on these issues, began voting en masse against climate action. In 1992, there was only a 5 percentage point gap between Republicans and Democrats on support for environmental protection, but by 2012, that gap had grown to 39 percentage points, according to a 2012 study from Pew Research Center.
"If you fell into a coma in '88 and woke up in '95," McCright said, "you'd probably be completely baffled by what's happened."
Alec Tyson, the lead pollster on a recent survey from Pew, told CNN that when it comes to Americans' views on climate impacts now, "partisanship matters more than anything else." The poll revealed that 86% of Democrats expected negative climate impacts to worsen during their lifetime, while only 37% of Republicans shared the same belief.
In December 2022, the largest climate bill in US history, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, was passed by a Democratically controlled Congress. The bill aimed to provide tax incentives to promote the purchase of discounted electric cars, electric stoves, solar panels, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. It was a package focused on rewards rather than penalties. Despite its significance, not a single Republican supported the bill.
Lightning rod for right wing media
Conservative media has played an outsized role in fueling culture war narratives, according to experts.
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced the Green New Deal in 2019 as a nonbinding resolution to address the climate crisis. The proposal quickly became a target for right-wing media, with some labeling it as the most radical, dangerous policy proposal in modern history and calling it economic enslavement and an "eco-fascist" proposal.
On November 14, 2020, a man was photographed riding a bicycle in a pedestrian area in Barcelona as part of the city's "superilla" (superblock) plan. The initiative aims to promote cycling and car-free zones in the city. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP) (Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)
Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images
How 15-minute cities turned into an international conspiracy theory
Allison Fisher, director of the climate and energy program at progressive media watchdog group Media Matters, observed that Fox News coverage of the Green New Deal portrayed a future where "you were going to not be able to have hamburgers, your travel was going to be radically restricted, your freedom of movement was getting taken away." Fisher noted that the Green New Deal had sparked an increase in the rhetoric used by right wing media, speaking to CNN.
Fox has long been preparing to frame climate policies as a culture war issue, according to the source. The network's message, she added, is straightforward and impactful, promoting the notion that the extreme left has fabricated the climate crisis in order to gain control over all aspects of American life. A Fox News representative did not respond to CNN's request for comment on these descriptions.
According to psychology professor Lewandowsky, this narrative speaks to a profound fear among those on the political right. "For conservatives or libertarians, climate change is a nightmare," he explained, citing the associated implications of taxes, regulation, and a larger government as deeply challenging on both an emotional and intellectual level.
Even in less polarized countries like the UK, conservative media has contributed to the division over climate change, according to Ed Matthew of the climate think tank E3G.
UK newspaper articles have seen a notable increase in urging the government to relax climate targets and spreading fear, according to Matthew in an interview with CNN. He warned that this deliberate attempt to make climate action divisive is incredibly risky.
Winning social acceptance
Despite abundant polling in the US and Europe indicating widespread acknowledgment of climate change as a threat and overall support for climate action, there remains a significant disparity between recognizing the issue and implementing meaningful solutions, as noted by Jennie King, an expert in climate disinformation at the think tank Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
Rishi Sunak, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, is seen here with a green briefcase similar to the iconic red Budget Box. This photo was taken on Finance Day at the COP26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow on November 3, 2021. Sunak is expected to unveil plans aimed at positioning Britain as the world's first net zero financial services center by the year 2050, according to the Treasury. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
DANIEL LEAL/AFP/Getty Images
The UK once vowed to be a global climate leader. Now Rishi Sunak is stoking a culture war on green policies
The gap has widened even further as the cost of living continues to rise, leaving many countries on the edge of recession and causing concerns about who will bear the cost of climate action. "The last mile," which refers to the policies that have a direct impact on people's lives, is now where information warfare is concentrated," King explained to CNN.
Governments attempting to enact climate legislation face a dilemma: either push for ambitious agendas and risk opposition from those who benefit from spreading fear and resistance, or proceed cautiously and further derail global efforts to mitigate catastrophic climate change and ensure a sustainable environment.
Germany, where a heat pump briefly threatened to divide the government, serves as a cautionary example, according to Matthew of E3G. The country's attempt to implement regulations at an accelerated pace left the public unprepared, providing an opportunity for far-right parties to rally support by exploiting the situation.
The key to rapidly transforming economies to slash planet-warming pollution will be "bringing society along and winning social acceptance," Schreurs said. But, she added, "its not going to be easy."
