Following Up On the Senate Snowball

     If you read the my last post, you probably saw the video of Senator James Inhofe dismissing Climate Change  by showing everyone in the Senate Chamber a snowball. He insisted that because it snowed in DC, that global warming was not happening. As usual, the Senator (R-OK) was talking out of his ass by choosing to ignore data from his very own state.

     The Capital Weather Gang pointed out last month that while the polar vortex has descended on the Northeast, bringing record cold temperatures and snowfall, Senator Inhofe's home state of Oklahoma was breaking records for the hottest day ever recorded in January. That's right, temperatures in Oklahoma and throughout the Midwest were more than 30 degrees ABOVE normal, breaking records that have stood for over 100 years (or at least since records have been taken).

     Then, to my complete delight, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) took Inhofe to task. Whitehouse pointed out how many organizations and scientific societies accepted that climate change is real and were taking steps to deal with the repercussions. Senator Whitehouse pointed out that people like Inhofe ignore the facts and the actions being taken by companies like Ford and Miller Brewing company...shit, even Walmart accepts that climate change is happening!

     Senator Inhofe thinks God is going to fix all this for us. He better hope so, since the Senator from Oklahoma isn't doing anything to address it, besides attacking science and ignoring the best scientific minds in the world.

Okay, One More Time...

     Senator Inhofe brought a snowball from outside of the Capitol today and tossed it on the Senate floor. He offer it up as proof that Climate Change and global warming are a hoax. (Sigh.)

     Okay, let's go through this again. Real quick. Weather is what happens everyday. Climate is what weather does over a looooonnnnnnggggggg period of time. Longterm weather patterns emerge when you look at the climate. No one said climate change meant winter suddenly ended (it's winter in DC, just for the record).

       This is the leader of the Senate committee on the environment.

Plant More Trees!

As the human population continues to grow, we should be planting more trees than we cut down.

Paid to Deny?

     Dr. Willie Soon apparently has been paid by some of the biggest greenhouse gas emitting companies in the fossil fuel industry to say that Anthropogenic Climate Change is not happening. Multiple media outlets have written about the story. Senator is calling for a hearing to get to the bottom of this. Some of you may ask, "is that really necessary? A Senate hearing?" Yes, it is necessary. Why is it a big deal that the scientists that is the darling of conservative politicians and the fossil fuel industry has been paid over $1.2 million dollars while he says climate change isn't happening? Well, here are a few reasons:

1. He didn't report the "funding" for over $1 million given to his research since 2008. It speaks to his integrity and suggests that he was hiding something, which takes more than a chunk out of his credibility. It also suggests that he is in it for the money, which would explain why he is in the minority who dismiss Climate Change as a hoax.

2. The companies and organizations funding his "research" are the same companies who stand to lose billions of dollars if climate change regulations are enacted. Exxon Mobile, the American Petroleum Institute and one of the Koch brothers charitable foundations, to name a few. Why aren't they funding real scientists who study climate? If their claims that global warming and climate change aren't happening, why not spend millions to fund the 97% of the leading climate scientists to discover that on their own? Because it is happening, that's why.

3. The Tobacco companies did this very thing back int he 1960's. They paid doctors to say smoking didn't cause cancer and did not kill you. We see how all of that turned out.

4. Finally, its a big deal because it means people are being paid to lie. To you, to me, to the American people, to the rest of the world. These companies are trying to make it seem like there is an equal debate about the facts and findings about Climate Change. 97-3 is not an equal and healthy debate. Its a landslide. even with a margin for error of +/- 3%, those scientists not being paid by Big Oil and Big Coal win.

     What Soon is doing is illegal. He has been lying and now there is a money trail that many suspected was there. Disclosing it before now and standing up for his scientific opinions on Climate Change would have lent him more credibility. Now, he just looks like he was less than honest.

     

Clueless

"These are scientists that cannot be challenged..." 

- Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), referring to a group of scientists he claims do not believe Climate Change is happening, or being caused by humans.

     That statement reveals that Senator Inhofe, and the scientists he refers to, do not understand the scientific method. All findings should be challenged. Every time. Challenging someone's findings will help determine if they were correct, partially correct, incorrect or full of shit with what they claim. Without challenging scientific ideas and theories, anyone could make up anything about anything. Discovery and innovation are born from hard work and a dedication to finding the truth, not from lies and deceit.

     If we followed the Senators lead, then that imagine the possiblities. I could announce that I discovered that when big orange elephants with pink minivans all drove around the world at 50 mph, in the opposite direction of the rotational spin of the planet, it will cause my dog to pee behind the garage in the morning if its sunny. It's true! Because I said so and you can't challenge me.