DUBUQUE, Iowa—In his first sit-down interview with The Daily Signal, Jeb Bush blames the “hard-core left” for trying to force its way on the issue of climate change.
“The problem is climate change has been co-opted by the hard-core left and if you don’t march to their beat perfectly then you’re a denier,” Bush said in an interview conducted in Iowa.
Bush does believe the climate is changing but isn’t sure how much of it is man-made.
“The climate is changing. I don’t think anybody can argue that it’s not. I don’t think anybody truly knows what percentage of this is man-made and which percentage is just the natural evolution of what happens over time on this planet,” he said. “I think we have a responsibility to adapt to what the possibilities are without destroying our economy, without hollowing out our industrial core. There are things that we can do that are commonsensical about this.”
Bush has spoken in the past about the need to reduce carbon emissions, saying it’s an issue the United States and other world powers must work on and try and find common agreement. However, he’s also quick to point out that a capitalist approach is the best way.
“The United States has actually been one of the places as it relates to carbon emissions where there have been the best gains because of the explosion of American innovation in creating huge increases in natural gas production and consumption that has lowered carbon emissions. The capitalist system has actually done more than the command and control progressive model.”