This summer of 2024 has witnessed nature’s wrath in multiple forms: floods in Vermont, heatwaves across Southern Europe, and even wildfires in Quebec. The increased frequency of these extreme weather events has experts echoing a common refrain: it’s time to scale back on fossil fuels. However, the stance of former South Carolina Governor and 2024 GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley starkly deviates from this consensus.
In a recent Fox News interview, Haley lauded her staunch pro-fossil fuels stance, equating oil rigs to a form of patriotism. The host, Stuart Varney, pressed her on whether her motto was “drill, baby, drill.” Haley responded with a resounding affirmation, stating, “I think that I was just on an oil rig in Texas. It’s the most patriotic thing I’ve ever seen.”
Varney continued by questioning whether Haley’s approach to “pumping more oil” would be a “climate plan,” given the urgent need to tackle climate change. Haley’s response was an attempt to sidestep the issue and shift the focus onto other nations.
She claimed that the real climate plan should be to target India and China, citing them as the biggest polluters. She declared, “America does things right…the Paris Climate Agreement was not it,” thereby justifying the U.S.’s withdrawal from the international climate accord. She argued that while the U.S. placed heavy regulations on its businesses, China’s plan was to deal with climate change a decade later.
This is an oversimplification at best. According to her, “I’ve negotiated with China; ten years never comes. India and China are our biggest polluters. If we really care about the environment, which I think we do, we need to start using the rest of the world to say, ‘Hey, we’ve gotta start dealing with this. China, India, it’s time for you to do your part.'”
It’s worth noting that while climate change is a global issue that requires international cooperation, shifting the entire burden onto other countries doesn’t absolve one’s own responsibilities. Haley’s climate stance, extolling oil rigs as patriotism and deflecting blame onto India and China, may play well with her base, but it does little to offer tangible solutions to the global climate crisis we’re facing.
