Republican candidates for President prior to a debate in Las Vegas, Oct. 18, 2011
During the presidential election in 2008, there was a candidate who said that he believed in global warming and had a plan to cap carbon emissions. And that candidate was ... Republican John McCain. Back then, both presidential candidates said they believed in climate science and favored policies that would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and boost renewable energy in the U.S. As political issues go, it was pretty centrist.
Oh, for the good old days. Today it's easier to find an iceberg in the Sahara than it is to find a major Republican candidate who believes in climate science. As a result, climate change has become one more politically polarized issue — which means any national action from the U.S. has become virtually impossible.