Climate of Contempt: How to Rescue the U.S. Energy Transition from Voter Partisanship(Center on Global Energy Policy Series)

Why is the United States struggling to enact policies to reduce carbon emissions? Conventional wisdom holds that the wealthy and powerful are to blame, as the oligarchs and corporations that wield disproportionate sway over politicians prioritize their short-term financial interests over the climate's long-term health. David B. Spence argues that this top-down narrative misses a more important culprit-with critical consequences for the energy transition. Climate of Contempt offers a voter-centric, bottom-up explanation of national climate and energy politics, one that pinpoints bitter partisanship as the key impediment to transitioning to a net zero carbon future. Members of Congress respond to voters whose animosity toward the opposing party makes compromise politically risky. The most powerful driver of polarization, in turn, is the mixture of ideology and social media that constitutes today's information environment, which amplifies anger, spreads half truths and falsehoods, and sows division, distorting voters' understandings of the energy transition and their fellow citizens. Spence explores the effects of polarization, partisanship, and propaganda on energy policy and considers how to build a broader climate coalition. He contends that cooperation on this crucial issue is still possible, but it will require sustained person-to-person engagement across ideological and partisan boundaries to foster a more productive dialogue. Providing a timely and incisive understanding of the politics of the energy transition, Climate of Contempt suggests new paths forward and offers hope for a net-zero future.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures and Tables List of Abbreviations Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: The Evolution of the Energy-Regulatory State 1. Republican Moments and the Creation of the Energy-Regulatory State 2. Ideological Conservatism and Deregulation 3. Partisan Tribalism and Climate Policy Part II: Complexity, Centrifugal Forces, and the Energy Transition 4. The Propaganda Machine 5. Facing Energy-Transition Trade-offs 6. Hope and Conversation Notes References Index

About the Author :
David B. Spence is the Rex G. Baker Chair in Natural Resources Law in the School of Law and professor of business, government, and society in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches courses in energy and environmental regulation. He is a coauthor of a leading casebook, Energy, Economics, and the Environment.

Review :
David B. Spence’s urgent book comes at just the right time as we gear up for another contested election season and as we witness almost daily reminders of the accelerating climate crisis. Based on years of research and a deeply felt commitment to reasoned debate, Spence takes on the number one problem facing climate action: politics and polarization. In clear and compelling prose, backed up by detailed analysis, Spence shows us how we got to our current state and where we might look for resources to get beyond the tribalism and contempt that mark so much of contemporary climate politics. Although Spence has no illusions about the challenges we face in trying to build a more respectful politics, this is ultimately a hopeful book that recognizes the redemptive power of having authentic conversations across difference. It deserves to be widely read. Climate of Contempt is a timely book that will help analysts, policy makers, climate advocates, project developers, energy enthusiasts, and historians make sense of this inflection point in the energy transition. Spence brings together smart insights, keen observations, and rigorous detail in an easy-to-read format. Recommended for anyone who cares about energy and the future of the world.