"GOP Convention Kicks Off -- Minus Climate-Friendly Republicans"

"CLEVELAND -- Eleven House Republicans who are trying to change their party's attitude on climate change appear to be skipping the GOP convention beginning here today. Several also say they won't vote for presumed presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The decision signals a sense of foreboding about Trump's candidacy by some of the party's most visible supporters of tackling global warming. The group of lawmakers are working on a package of bills to cut greenhouse gas emissions by promoting clean energy and other programs that they believe could appeal to some conservatives.

The convention is seen as an uncooperative backdrop to those efforts. The four-day event is designed to build enthusiasm for Trump's final push toward the Nov. 8 election by flooding the city with political stars. But there's little excitement among the 11 Republicans. Trump's rejection of climate science is at odds with their efforts to drain the issue of its sharp ideology. He has called it a hoax, a Democratic scheme to financially benefit the party's supporters and an invention by the Chinese."

Evan Lehmann reports for ClimateWire July 18, 2016.