Science vs “But… But It Snowed Last Winter”
I’d pay good money to watch this debate.
Reporting from Washington —Faced with rising political attacks, hundreds of climate scientists are joining a broad campaign to push back against congressional conservatives who have threatened prominent researchers with investigations and vowed to kill regulations to rein in man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
The still-evolving efforts reveal a shift among climate scientists, many of whom have traditionally stayed out of politics and avoided the news media. Many now say they are willing to go toe-to-toe with their critics, some of whom gained new power after the Republicans won control of the House in Tuesday’s election.
On Monday, the American Geophysical Union, the country’s largest association of climate scientists, plans to announce that 700 climate scientists have agreed to speak out as experts on questions about global warming and the role of man-made air pollution.
I hate the fact that scientists are pushed (actually, they’re being dragged) into the political arena, but this nonsense has to stop. So far, climate change denialists (in other words, the GOP) have gotten a free ride. Should be interesting. Climate scientists vs. used car salesmen wearing sweaters.
Tags: Climate Change
And I’ll note that there is absolutely nothing about these so-called investigations that will produce a single job. Except for the lawyers these scientists will need to hire now.
One thing that would interest me would be for the scientists who are called to start pointing out real-world consequences of not paying attention to climate change right in these congressional conservatives’ backyards. Effects that taxpayers are being asked to pay for. Today’s newspaper has an interesting example (not in a conservative backyard, but there are others in VA, NC, SC, FL) where the water rise is threatening the longevity of long-established communities. And I’d like to hear these conservatives tell these communities that taxpayers SHOULD NOT pay for measures to protect them. (A thing I think is the right answer, but is certainly not the politically viable one.) I’d like to hear these conservatives tell these communities that this is where they get to take care of themselves, right in line with their so-called principles.
The Republicans plan to gut scientific research of climate change at the national level. It fits with the view that if you don’t like what the scientists are telling you, just cut off their funding.
Maybe that will make the problem go away…