With Jeb Bush equivocating from the standard GOP full-frontal denial of climate change, opposing presidential candidate Marco Rubio throws in with the Know Nothing wing of the party, which exerts great influence in early selection process.
Prediction: Rubio “evolves” after the South Carolina primary.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who announced his presidential candidacy last week, told Bob Schieffer of CBS News on Sunday that he does not believe in manmade global warming. Instead, Rubio said he recognizes the climate is changing, but that scientists have not determined what percentage of such changes are due to human activities, such as burning coal, oil and gas for energy, compared to natural climate variability.
Unfortunately for Rubio, scientists have been quite clear that the majority of warming during the past few decades is due to manmade global warming.
In an appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation, Rubio said that if the government implements policies such as a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system to cut greenhouse gas emissions, it would be “devastating” for the economy, and scientists can’t say precisely what the climate benefits would be.
–Rubio’s comments are out of step with the scientific community, which is nearly unanimous in finding that the majority of recent climate change is largely due to manmade activities, and that if action is not taken soon to slow the pace of global warming, potentially devastating consequences may occur.
The senator’s views also put him in opposition to the majority of voters in his home state, which is considered to be ground zero for sea level rise. A recent study from Yale University shows that 64% of Floridians believe global warming is occurring, and 50% think that climate change is mostly due to human activities.
Below, see my recent video on the impact of sea level rise on Rubio’s home state of Florida:
It’s a sad commentary on the state of the electorate in FL (and many other states) that ignorant fools like Rubio (and Inhofe et al) can get themselves elected.
It’s even sadder that this KID thinks he should even be considered as a viable presidential candidate. He looks like the kids that deliver pizza in my neighborhood, and his comments on AGW and gay marriage sound like he’s parroting the dinner table comments from his parents.
The problem may not be Rubio but his billionaire financial backer. Hiding in the shadows these folks fancy themselves as “great minds”, but are really science (and social) illiterates. Just because they can make money (doing something that may or may not be economically constructive) is not an IQ test. Noteworthy that few of these rich clowns will ever give an interview with someone that can ask hard questions.
There is a historical model for this kind of financial backer: Henry Ford. The man was a mechanical genius that made a huge contribution to American industry, but he was also proved to be “ignorant” in court regarding his antisemitic activities. He didn’t appear to know information that even a smart grade schooler at the time would have known.
Is another Henry Ford backing Rubio and Cruz? Probably not, since Ford actually created something to earn his riches. Likely we have an ignoramus that thinks he’s a financial wizard like the Wolf of Wall Street.
From the essay:
In fact it would appear we are responsible for roughly all of the recent (1975-present) warming.
From Gavin Schmidt:
Good lord – the election is more than a year and a half away! By talking about this stuff now, we are just supporting a free Republican election focus laboratory. Screw ’em. I don’t want to help them field their best candidate or best issues. Let them s**t where they eat all by themselves.
A “Republican election focus laboratory” is a rather laughable oxymoron. They are too freaking stupid to even look around and see that all those women, immigrants, minorities, gays, and members of the 98% that they are alienating are displacing ignorant old white men in the electorate. The only thing keeping the Repugnants alive is huge piles of dirty money and dirty tactics, and it can’t go on forever. Once enough SHTF, particularly in the areas of economics and deteriorating quality of life in the U.S., they will be history.
The more “we” talk now, the more time they will have to shoot off all their toes before November 2016. They didn’t field their “best” candidate in 2012, and had no “issues” to run on beyond Obama. We should encourage them to keep driving the Clown Car into the same ditch. They seem to be steering in the right direction so far—-policies designed to benefit the rich at the expense of the 98%, attacking Hillary rather than coming up with positive programs. They do indeed s**t where they eat—-that’s what happens when you are ruled by dogma and ideology rather than by a desire to do the right thing for the greater good of all.
The obvious follow up question should now be asked of him:
“So Senator, if scientists work out what percentage of climate change is due to human emissions, will you take decisive action to reduce the effects of those changes?”
“The o̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ loaded follow up question should now be asked…”
Fixed your sentence for ya. But if Rubio was asked such a loaded question, would it not be devastating a response if he answered, “If the percentage turned out to be statistically insignificant, of course I would not take any action, and you would not advocate taking action either. And if it does turn out to be statistically insignificant, will you then undertake an investigation as to why so many people proceeded on a preconceived conclusion without first making certain the conclusion was true?”
Heeeeeeee’s Ba-aaack! Russell swings through Crock as he whores for Heartland, leaving his usual load of demented denier horsepucky to stink up the place.
And he is once again displaying his talent at setting up straw men and shooting them down with a scenario that includes NO LESS than FOUR “if’s”, TWO “would it not’s”, ONE “will you then”, and a lot of horsepucky to glue that all together into what Russell thinks is an “argument”. LMAO over how “devastating” (and irrelevant) it all is.
You’ve turned your trick and earned your whore’s dollar here today on Crock, Russell. I’m sorry I can’t fix your thinking or your character deficit for ya, Russell. Go away.
This piece contains something that continually irks me – the notion that “natural variability” has ANY legitimate contribution AT ALL in recent warming. If you actually look at the evidence, the primary and even secondary “natural variability” variables have all had a COOLING effect on climate – there is NO contender with humans for causation of the warming we’re seeing! The sun? It’s been on a DOWNWARD trend in luminosity since 1957. Volcanic aerosols? Have been COOLING us. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation? Has been in a COOLING phase since 1998, yet still we warm (more slowly albeit). Someone name me just ONE NATURAL Variation source which is heating the Earth over these time scales. Just one!
Since the 1980’s, the quantity of hot air spouted by Republicans has increased exponentially. The steaming piles of horsepucky they and the AGW deniers have spread around the planet are also releasing much heat as they decay, particularly over the last 15 years as their “arguments” have been shot to pieces. I’m no statistician, but there seems to be some connection here. Maybe one of our resident geniuses like Omno or Russell Cook can explain it to us? Some kind of correlation-causation thingy going on?
(PS The proof of this thesis will be that 2015 will be the hottest year ever, with all kinds of ice melt and other nasty things occurring. The models show a direct relationship to the fact that the Repugs are now in full campaign mode. NINETEEN hopefuls went to New Hampshire this week. They produced so much “natural” warming that alligators have been spotted in Lake Winnipesaukee and Palm trees are sprouting along its shores)