Why Is Climate Change A Liberal Issue?

The need to address man caused climate change and the rising sea levels (among other things) that would result is largely a liberal issue in the U.S.  U.S. conservatives tend to be climate change deniers.

Part of this is historical conservative distrust of science and distaste for the government regulation of business necessary to protect the environment and slow climate change.

But, there is another piece to it as well. The impact of climate change due to rising sea levels which is its most obvious consequence falls disproportionately on the "coastal elites" of the United States who are predominantly liberal and vote Democratic.

Almost all of the major cities on the Pacific coast are at risk, with comparatively conservative San Diego fairing better than most Pacific coastal cities. The major cities of the Northeast, and Florida, which is one of the most liberal Southern states, also face grave flooding risks, as does New Orleans, a liberal hub within the South.

In contrast, rising sea levels disproportionately have little impact on "Red State America". Appalachia, the Midwest, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, the Great Plains and the interior of the South are far less affected. 

Of course, the correspondence is not perfect. The conservative Panhandle of Florida and the coasts of the Carolinas would be impacted, as would a lot of the Gulf Coast of Texas. Liberal outposts like Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago and Austin would be largely spared. But, these are the exceptions that prove the rule.