Fox News seems very, very concerned that its viewers might tie the horrific floods in Texas to climate change and – gasp! - believe the scientists.
The Texas Tribune recently reported:
Climate change is taking a toll on Texas, and the devastating floods that have killed at least 15 people and left 12 others missing across the state are some of the best evidence yet of that phenomenon, state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon said in an interview Wednesday.
“We have observed an increase of heavy rain events, at least in the South-Central United States, including Texas,” said Nielsen-Gammon, who was appointed by former Gov. George W. Bush in 2000. “And it’s consistent with what we would expect from climate change.”
But The Tribune also noted that the state’s Republican leadership are “deeply skeptical of the scientific consensus that human activity is changing the climate, with top environmental regulators in Texas questioning whether the planet is warming at all.”
As the GOP goes, so goes Fox News!
In a teaser for “business show” Bulls & Bears today, host Brenda Buttner “asked” whether “global warming activists” are “using” the flooding in Texas was “to push a green agenda?”
First panelist was a stern Gary B. Smith. He said, “Well Brenda, it’s like in the late 1800s when they were selling snake oil. But the fact is, the temperature change from 1998 until now, in the world, we’re one degree cooler. There’s been no perceptible shift in the climate. In fact though, the government bills us $22 billion a year to fight a problem a) we don’t have, and b) they don’t know how to solve. It is the snake oil salesmen of 2015.”
”He says ‘snake oil salesmen.' I think these are scientists,” Democrat Jehmu Greene pushed back. “I’m not sure where Gary got his climate change degree. We can’t keep our head in the same - climate has been disrupted. We’re seeing that impact. I am blocks away from where serious flooding happened in Austin, Texas and we keep seeing these issues and if we want to say we’re afraid of the truth, that’s one thing, but denying it? Not effective.”
Panelist John Layfield demonized climate change activists. “What kills the climate change movement is the fact they use these disasters for political motives. I agree that we’re putting stuff in the air that we shouldn’t do. We should have an alternative to something past a fossil fuel future,” he said. He smeared former Vice President Al Gore by saying he “was sprayed with human repellent at some point.” Layfield added, “Anything he says, people just want to disagree with. They hurt their own cause.”
Host Buttner agreed: “Right.”
Panelist Jonas Max Ferris said he didn’t know what’s a historical pattern or what’s manmade but, he noted, the American insurance industry “is very worried about this change and wants to do stuff about it.” He argued, “We have to get ahead of it and not just argue about it. …It’s gonna keep getting worse and you have to get ahead of it so you don’t have floods and death and damage and billions of dollars in damage every year.”
Conservative Ashley Pratte said – in a wooden voice devoid of emotion – “My heart goes out to those that are in Texas and dealing with this right now.” But her heart didn’t go out far enough to think about ways to address the problem. Nor did it stop her from attacking others. “I also don’t think that this is a policy window for anyone to use destruction and tragedy to be able to bring about climate change initiatives right now,” she accused. She added, “Science right now is not on the climate change side and it’s a natural disaster.”
Actually, it’s Pratte who’s not on the side of science. According to NASA, “Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals1 show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities. In addition, most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position.”
Not surprisingly, Buttner did not challenge Pratte’s blatantly false statement.
Watch the Fox-sponsored denial below, from today’s Bulls & Bears.
BUT, when people are no longer “suffering,” the CONservatives just pooh-pooh any actions because “there’s no need at this time.” IOW, kicking the problem down the road—just like they’ve been doing for the last 35 years.
