For decades, concern over climate change has largely been considered a liberal torch. We've all heard the theories that global warming is a hoax created by Al Gore, or that countless groups of scientists who study the climate are all part of a liberal, Democratic conspiracy to quash big business and fight the evil oil companies.

EPA mandates on vehicle emission standards, the "war on coal," pushes for green energy... all strictly liberal ideas bordering on socialism, right? Not so fast. Today I caught up with Benji Backer, a 22-year-old from Wisconsin who hopes to fight climate change. And guess what? He's a conservative Republican. In a Newsweek op-ed piece from August, titled "The RNC Is Leaving My Generation of Young Conservatives Behind", Benji said,

Three years ago, I founded the American Conservation Coalition because I saw a gap in the environmental conversation and wanted to re-engage conservatives, specifically young ones. Since then, we've had incredible success with conservative thought leaders and congressional Republicans on these issues. We've had this success because Americans are hungry for serious, realistic climate solutions in the face of progressives' big government and even socialist agendas.

Photo courtesy American Conservation Coalition ~ used with permission
Photo courtesy American Conservation Coalition ~ used with permission
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Benji is currently in Montana and is making a trip across the US, in a sweet Tesla Model X, called the Electric Election Roadtrip 2020. Yesterday (9/17) he visited Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch near Gallatin Gateway and this morning he was stopping by the Simm's fishing gear manufacturing facility in Bozeman. In between appointments, we got to spend some time talking about his thoughts on the coal industry, if wildfires are purely the cause of climate change, electric vehicles in Montana and other cool stuff.

Listen to the interview below.

It was a breath of fresh air chatting with the well-spoken Backer. In a world full of divisiveness (on nearly every issue, it seems) it was great hearing that maybe we can all agree that we've only got one planet we call home. You can learn more about The Conservation Coalition HERE.  In this video, they explore further the demographics of climate change concern among voters.

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