In a room full of Republican donors last week, Gov. John Kasich said something you don't normally hear at a GOP fundraiser.

In a room full of Republican donors last week, Gov. John Kasich said something you don�t normally hear at a GOP fundraiser.

�This isn�t popular to always say, but I believe there is a problem with climates, climate change in the atmosphere,� Kasich told a Ross County Republican function on Thursday. �I believe it. I don�t know how much there is, but I also know the good Lord wants us to be good stewards of his creation. And so, at the end of the day, if we can find these breakthroughs to help us have a cleaner environment, I�m all for it.�

For context, Kasich was speaking about his wide-ranging energy policy, which includes shale drilling, clean-coal technology, capturing waste heat and support for solar and wind energy. But he broke from his usual speech to drop the climate-change line in there � a hot-button topic for some conservatives who reject global warming.

For instance, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum draws applause when he says global warming is �political science.�

jvardon@dispatch.com