When it comes to crafting policy solutions to climate change, government messaging often depends on the ideological leanings of the electoral base. When an elected government official’s politics align with the politics of the majority of the constituent base, like it does in “red” and “blue” states, political support is easier to find. But what about in purple states where there are similar levels of Democratic and Republican support? For government leaders in purple states, writing policy that appeals to everyone can be difficult. For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/communicating-climate-policy-in-purple-states-with-janet-napolitano/
For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/communicating-climate-policy-in-purple-states-with-janet-napolitano/
Ethan: How can conservative state governments persuade their constituents to support climate action? This is Ethan Elkind of Climate Break. I spoke with former Arizona governor and former president of the University of California, Janet Napolitano, about the lessons she learned crafting climate policy solutions while leading a purple state from 2003 to 2009.
Ms. Napolitano: One of the things we did was really a simple matter of vocabulary. We tried to stay away from terms that unfortunately had taken on too much political baggage and just talk about what we were actually going to do.
Ethan: Napolitano found broader support among constituents when her policies emphasized terms like climate safety and preserving the environment.
Ms. Napolitano: I tried to stay away from the phrase climate change per se. I know that sounds kind of dorky, but, you know, those kinds of things can really help you accomplish an agenda.
Ethan: Another popular policy choice: developing an in-state renewable energy industry, like solar power.
Ms. Napolitano: There are lots of sun in Arizona, and some of the manufacturers in solar were located there. And as the cost of solar came down, the adoption of solar by Arizonans grew.
Ethan: To learn more about ways to communicate on climate action and for more climate solutions, go to climatebreak.org or wherever you get your podcasts.