The Earth is sizzling, but climate isn't a hot topic for Democrats in this year's campaigns

There has been a national shift in the conversation about climate change, with some researchers coining the term "climate hushing" to describe it. This shift is reflected in the Democratic party's current campaign priorities, where climate change is no longer a dominant topic. According to Charles Hughes, a college student and chair of the Massachusetts chapter of the College Democrats, "honestly, it doesn't come up as much" as it did in the past.

In the past, climate change was a rallying cry for young voters, with proposals like the Green New Deal fueling protests and demands for action. However, the Searchlight Institute, a Democratic think tank, has urged the party to stop emphasizing climate change, citing a lack of priority among voters. The Sunrise Movement, a left-wing group that previously pushed for global warming to be a top issue, has also shifted its focus.

The change in conversation is notable, given the previous emphasis on climate change during President Donald Trump's first term and the Democratic primaries in 2020. According to PBS NewsHour, the term "climate hushing" has been used to describe the current shift in conversation.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, The Hill, Associated Press, Winnipeg Free Press — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.