To be fair, not all Republicans or Conservatives are silly asses when it comes to appreciating the dangers of climate change. But too many of them are, and certainly that has been the avowed position of the policy makers and legislators the right puts in office.
This survey found that 54% of Republicans also acknowledge climate change and the human causation of it. From the NYT almost a year ago:
The results echo a number of other recent surveys concluding that despite the talk of many of the party’s candidates, a significant number of Republicans and independent voters are inclined to support candidates who would back some form of climate action. It may also point to a problem facing Republicans seeking their party’s presidential nomination: The activists who crowd town hall meetings and Republican presidential caucuses and primaries might not reflect the broader attitude of even the Republican electorate.
...three prominent Republican pollsters to conduct the survey: Whit Ayres, who works for the presidential campaign of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida; Glen Bolger, a three-time winner of the American Association of Political Consultants’ “Republican Pollster of the Year;” and Kristen Soltis Anderson, author of “The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up).”
“At the moment some of the louder voices in the party are dominating this debate,” said Ms. Anderson in an interview. “But as we move out of the entertainment phase of the campaign and look at more of the policy platforms, there’s a way for Republicans to talk about this that depoliticizes climate.” On the campaign trail, the leading Republican presidential contenders question or deny human-caused climate change. In an interview on CNN last week, Donald J. Trump said, “I don’t believe in climate change.” In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle this month, Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who, along with Mr. Trump, is at the top of many recent polls said, “There is no overwhelming science that the things that are going on are man-caused and not naturally caused.”
Well Carson is long gone, and few now think him the 'smart candidate', but I'm afraid we are still in the above described 'entertainment' phase; there doesn't seem to be any serious phase coming any time, between now and the general election. Sadly, it appear the radical right is driving the bus into oblivion, with Trump as their funny-haired hood ornament.
Yes, there are enough of the silly deniers to have a good laugh at their expense.
From earlier this week, enjoy!.