Proposing climate change legislation is a waste of paper
Photo courtesy of guardianlv.com
This year, Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen plans on re-introducing legislation to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. One would think that Hollen has reasons to be optimistic.
On Monday, The New York Times reported that one of the main researchers who Republicans have referenced in their denial of human-caused climate change, Wei-Hong Soon, has been called into question due to close ties to the corporate interests that would benefit from such a misconception. Soon has accepted over $1.2 million from interest groups and published at least 11 papers that failed to disclose his bias. In his papers, Soon claims that variations in the Sun’s energy can explain the majority of recent global warming — a conclusion contested by the majority of scientists both outside and inside his own organization. These revelations, in addition to the fact that 2014 was the hottest year on record, might finally be the compelling evidence that conservatives need to change their outdated view on climate change, and work to enact policies that will protect the planet from being further damaged.
Unfortunately, it seems such optimism is misplaced.
Despite a consensus in the scientific community that climate change is caused by humans and an ever-dwindling supply of credible dissenters (see Wei-Hong Soon), Republicans stubbornly deny both the existence of and the need to combat climate change. As a matter of fact, the Vice Chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee in the House, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) asserted in 2013 that “global warming is a total fraud” and is “designed” by liberals to further their own agenda. And Rohrabacher is not a rarity.
His colleague, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, claimed just last month that climate change is real, but the idea that that man is responsible is “a hoax.”
Let me reiterate the absurdity of these comments. The Vice Chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works are in total agreement that the broader scientific community is mistaken about climate change, and that all of the hubbub about global warming is a hoax.
With science like that, it’s no surprise that climate change legislation would result in hot heads and cold shoulders.
Sarah Green is a sophomore majoring in economics. Her column, “Power Politics,” runs Mondays.
Carl Sagen said “Incredible claims require incredible evidence”. For Dana and Jim to conclude that AGW is a hoax requires some pretty incredible evidence indeed. It turns out, the scientists they consult with are all working for Right Wing Stink Tanks which are largely funded by fossil fuel interests. They know exactly what they are doing but continue to act like unwitting fools and tools. The constituents who re-elect these charlatans are some of the biggest suckers in the world because they are voting against their own best interest.
Its PAST TIME We stop thinking about Deniers as part of a ‘Debate’
What is really happening is an ATTACK on Humanity by soulless MONSTERS
that the Supreme Court says are ‘People’ – and Humanity is LOSING.
There is a campaign being waged against US that includes an estimated BILLION DOLLARS spent on War-Time-Like Propaganda ‘Manufactured’ by Traitors to their Species like the Heritage Institute to be fed to the Gullible on Faux News in order to cover the fact that the Republican Congress has been PURCHASED by the Koch Suckers who shill for the Coal Barons and Oil Sheikhs that are destroying our Grandchildren’s Future.