One Is The Loneliest Number
A very interesting thing happened at a Senate hearing this week that hasn’t gotten much attention, but should. Several Republican senators disagreed with climate science denier-conspiracist Jim Inhofe on the science of global climate change:
It must be very lonely being the last flat-earther.
Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, committed climate-change denier, found himself in just such a position Tuesday morning as the Senate environment committee, on which he is the ranking Republican, took up legislation on global warming. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was in talks with Democrats over a compromise bill — the traitor! And as Inhofe listened, fellow Republicans on the committee — turncoats! — made it clear that they no longer share, if they ever did, Inhofe’s view that man-made global warming is the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”
“Eleven academies in industrialized countries say that climate change is real; humans have caused most of the recent warming,” admitted Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). “If fire chiefs of the same reputation told me my house was about to burn down, I’d buy some fire insurance.”
An oil-state senator, David Vitter (R-La), said that he, too, wants to “get us beyond high-carbon fuels” and “focus on conservation, nuclear, natural gas and new technologies like electric cars.” And an industrial-state senator, George Voinovich (R-Ohio), acknowledged that climate change “is a serious and complex issue that deserves our full attention.”
Inhofe even brought out his infamous list of scientists who supposedly disagree with climate change, which contains mainly economists, TV meteorologists, industry shills and scientists who have asked to be taken off the list. Boy, I can’t wait until Inhofe goes to the Copenhagen Conference.
So what has brought about this change in Republicans? We can only speculate but I think that some of the high-profile defections from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce could have played a role. A lot of companies believe that they can make money by reducing carbon emissions – either by trading permits or by saving in energy costs, if not both ways. I think they also see that global competition for energy is going to become a problem in the future, and want to take steps before it starts affecting business. The business community really has been leading on this issue for a while and I’m sure that is having an effect.
Climate Change resources, for people with a real interest:
The AP Statistical Study on warming trends (really well done journalism, IMO).
Climate Progress blog
Real Climate blog
Weather Underground climate change page
One of my favorites for argument-debunking: Deltoid‘s “Global Warming Sceptic Bingo”
tsk. They’re all commie-libs among the one Republican faithful. 😉
First, thank you very little for putting that song in my head.
James Inhofe, Exhibit A for the implimentation of an intelligence test for entry to Congress. Every day, I expect him to start a press conference with, “Each day, I look up at the bright sun going around the Earth and the stars nestled in their crystal spheres…” On the up side, I’m sure he’s George Will’s favorite Senator. The more I think about it, though, maybe they’re on to something with this global cooling thing. October has been the coolest month on record this year since probably April. Hmmm…
Senator Inhofe is right and he is not alone. I know Jim Inhofe personally. He is a great American and an independent thinker who is not afraid to stand for the obvious truth over trendy group think.
Unfortunately, the people who disagree with him can not come close to matching him with facts so they just say but the “cool crowd says”. The group think is disgraceful.
The earth has been a lot warmer was it because the dinos were farting too much or were they driving duv’s? The earth has been cooling for this entire decade which is why the term changed to climate change. That way no matter what happens they can try to say it is our fault and you need to hand us your money to fix it. Suckers and liberals are born every minute.
Hey, Republican David, how old is the earth?
Please point us to data supporting your statement that the Earth has been cooling for the past decade.
The reason that it was changed to climate change is because not everyone will see the effect in the same way. As temperatures change, weather patterns will (and have) change(d). So perhaps Florida gets more rain and wind, but Minnesota, Alaska and Montana get warmer.
I understand that it is tough to explain to many Republicans how complex systems work, unless they are complex concepts in 2000 year old books.
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/32821 I guess you missed radical news sources like USA Today and Howard Scripps News Service.
It’s a freaking editorial or as we like to call it, a OPINION piece.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/recenttc.html
I mean no disrespect David, but find a second brain cell to rub with your first.
The Earth HAS NOT been cooling this entire decade. Stop getting your scientific data from George Will. Sometimes when almost everyone agrees on something, it’s because it’s true. I was trying to be nice earlier, but James Inhofe is a moron. He wouldn’t know a fact if it bit him on the ass.
On another thread, David Anderson says Republicans like facts. Here, he proves he was lying Republicans like their opinions, and ignore facts when they contradict their opinions.
Sorry about my earlier outburst. The one subset of idiots that I have the least patience with are those who refuse to acknowledge mountains of scientific data. I hope David doesn’t answer Nemski’s earlier question, because I really don’t have the energy today to start on creationists.
Also, I appologize for making a reference to James Inhofe’s ass. That was out of line, and frankly, quite icky. My bad.
Scott P, did you call anyone a whore? No, then we’re cool.
David please enclose your curriculum vitae showing your numerous years of study in the field and peer-reviewed publications on the subject.
:crickets: