Ronald Reagan once said that “the person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20 percent traitor.” The conservative movement would do well to remember this if they wish to expand their tent, especially to Millennials and Generation Z, who, like it or not, are vital to the GOP’s longevity as a major party.
Most often, traditional conservatives would rather demonize and attack other sects of the party than embrace their common ground and work together where they can. This is something my organization, the American Conservation Coalition, knows all too well. As a young organization founded and led by a millennial team, ACC works to promote limited government and market-driven environmental policies. We discuss topics such as conservation, clean energy, and climate from a conservative lens — all issues that have been dominated and made extreme by the Left for far too long.
We believe, like many, that economic success and environmental success can go hand in hand. Moreover, polls consistently show climate and destruction of nature as the number one political concern for the younger generation. This highlights the need for an organization like ours. Environmentalism is not a left-wing idea, but too many mainstream solutions are, and that’s Republicans’ fault for refusing to participate in environmental and climate discussions beyond denying the problem.
Republican silence on climate change signals a generational disconnect and sends young people in hordes to the Democratic Party, where they are met by atrocious, unrealistic, government-expanding policies such as the “Green New Deal” and harmful subsidies and mandates.
Republicans have a chance to lead instead of playing defense. It is conservative to believe in marketplace innovation, developing technologies, federalism, economic growth, property rights, job creation, and competition. All of these values and more can be found in conservation, clean energy, and climate solutions, if only conservatives would take the time to look. Alas, the Grand Old Party clings to a tired tirade of climate denial and fierce opposition of anyone who dares step outside the norm.
As our work is rejected and shouted down by the far right of the party, ACC seeks to find common ground with other organizations. Some of those happen to be across the aisle. Regardless of whom we work with, we stay true to our values and principles, which are inherently conservative. This is something that, contrary to popular belief, organizations that challenge the status quo are capable of doing.
The majority of Americans would applaud our bipartisanship; in fact, a USA Today poll shows that even in the Trump era, with Americans more divided than ever, a majority believes that Washington should prioritize bipartisanship and work together. Unfortunately, to some on the Right, the simple act of discussing policy with those on the “other side” triggers a guilt-by-association mentality.
Initial skepticism of ACC’s mission is commonplace — it’s not every day you hear about people working to address environmental challenges with market-centric, conservative solutions, and when most people hear “environmentalism,” their mind immediately jumps to the divisive topic of climate change, when there is indeed much more to be tackled. Many are happy to lend a listening ear and learn about our work and ideas. We engage in respectful dialogue, and when we fully explain our philosophy to newcomers, they are excited to hear we exist. We are often met with “I’ve been waiting for an organization like yours!” from audiences both young and old.
The GOP’s traditionally rural base is typically hunters, fishers, farmers, outdoorsmen, and conservationists, after all.
On the other hand, some stick to their old way of thinking and believe that because we do not adhere to their failing strategy of avoiding environmental topics and denying science, we are not to be trusted. We endorse and campaign for Republicans, we work exclusively with conservative student groups, we attend exclusively right-of-center conferences. Our personal records and previous work will show we are as conservative as they, but because we dare reach across the aisle and lead on a taboo topic, we are deemed liberal.
Accusations of us “infiltrating” CPAC — an event which most of our leadership team has attended for years — are laughable. And for a group that they believe to be irrelevant, they sure do spend a lot of time talking about us. Despite the pushback, our organization has grown at unprecedented rates. All in all, we appreciate the free press and headspace from those who doubt us.
The American Conservation Coalition may diverge from the party line on fiercely advocating for environmental reforms, but our advocacy remains within conservative value-sets and always will. While one part of the GOP is working across the aisle, expanding the party’s platform, and appealing to new audiences, the other is shouting down new ideas, slandering organizations with which they have slight policy differences, and turning young people off from conservatism as a whole. I’ll let you decide for yourself which of those two camps have the party’s best interest in mind.
Danielle Butcher is chief operating officer of the American Conservation Coalition.
