There is no such thing as an immediate energy transition. It is impossible for us to completely abandon fossil fuels—at least right now. America was built from the ground up, from the settlers of Appalachia to the expansion of Manifest Destiny, setting a standard of American exceptionalism and economic hegemony that has endured for generations. Hardworking Americans achieved the greatest of triumphs, utilizing the Earth’s bounty to keep our nation safe and prosperous. We set a new standard with our energy, infrastructure, and technological progress—not because we ignored our natural resources, but because we managed and developed them with purpose.
The Drift from American Exceptionalism
Unfortunately, modern America has drifted away from much of what made us exceptional. The leaders who shaped our industrial rise understood that prosperity was contingent upon the prudent use of our natural resources. Whether our current shortcomings stem from corporate greed or from the deep cultural reliance on fossil fuels forged in the 20th century, one prevailing truth remains: our current discourse surrounding the environmental debate bears little resemblance to the one we should be having.
Why Republicans Struggle with Environmental Credibility
Instead, the mainstream Republican Party seems too preoccupied to address the issue in a way that most Americans are receptive to. They appear dismissive, and at times contemptuous, toward the notion that there is a prevailing issue with the current trajectory of our environmental policy. Looking back at the presidential elections of the late 1990s and early 2000s, we can see why. Much of the debate around climate change was headed by men such as Ralph Nader, John Kerry, and of course, Al Gore.
Al Gore’s Oscar-winning film An Inconvenient Truth was even the subject of a 2007 UK High Court case, where a judge found nine glaring scientific errors born of “alarmism and exaggeration,” ordering that it only be shown in schools with disclaimers. Gore falsely attributed climate change to Hurricane Katrina and warned of sea-level rises of up to 20 feet due to the imminent melting of either Antarctica or Greenland’s ice. It wasn’t just rhetoric; it became a narrative of doom lacking any sense of pragmatism.
The Failure of Apocalyptic Environmentalism
Who knew that Americans wouldn’t buy into the idea that the world was perpetually on the verge of extinction and the only thing standing between us and calamity was whether we shortened our showers or switched to paper straws? Their brand of environmentalism—apocalyptic in tone, moralizing in delivery—failed to connect with most Americans. Many tuned it out.
And yet, as the saying goes, “You killed the man, but not the idea.” The narrative they championed still permeates our classrooms, mainstream media, and the minds of well-intentioned young Americans who genuinely value environmental stewardship. And it remains relatively unchallenged from any good-faith arguments by the right.
A Conservative Legacy of Stewardship
Despite this recent trend, conservation is undeniably rooted in conservative values, and no American embodies that legacy more than President Theodore Roosevelt. Long before environmentalism became a partisan wedge, Roosevelt championed the utility and preservation of America’s natural resources as a beacon of national pride and security.
Roosevelt’s presidency cemented conservation as a cornerstone of American strength and prosperity—doubling the number of national parks, protecting the Grand Canyon, creating wildlife refuges, and safeguarding over 100 million acres of public land. No American has more National Park Service sites dedicated in their honor, and for good reason. That tradition belongs to the right as much as it does to anyone, and it’s a legacy worth reclaiming—not just for the sake of our children but as an act of reverence to those who came before us.
The Path Forward
Until Republicans put forward a bold, comprehensive plan to modernize our infrastructure, the ghosts of Kerry and Gore will continue to haunt the DNC’s policy platform and the mainstream media. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Conservatives have always prided themselves on fiscal responsibility, free markets, and viable solutions to changing economic circumstances. We must acknowledge that there is no instant energy transition, and for now, that’s okay. However, the notion that we must stand by and let our global adversaries outpace us in energy production is completely adverse to what the Republican Party claims to stand for. “America First” policy directives must encompass all aspects of our energy strategy. Protecting the status quo for a few corporate oligarchs in the fossil fuel industry at the expense of long-term security is not conservative—it’s capitulation.
We have the resources, the talent, and the urgency to lead the world in energy innovation. That means diversifying, not abandoning, our energy portfolio and investing in what works. Wind and solar have their place, but the real potential lies in nuclear and geothermal energy—viable alternatives that could erase our production deficits in record time if given the green light.
This is the path that secures American prosperity, strengthens our national security, and reclaims the conservative legacy of stewardship. Because conservation is conservative—and it always has been.
