As the impact and severity of climate change become more and more apparent, politicians, talk show hosts and economists feel obliged to mention the term, even when they are not entirely certain of what they are referring to.
It is almost impossible to go through the daily news on climate change without coming across at least one statement by a ‘concerned environmentalist’, which makes you laugh out loud, and then leaves you puzzled for quite some time afterwords.
Thanks to a great piece published in the Politics section of the Rolling Stone, we were able to gather the top 10 most bizarre and dull statements that, unfortunately for their authors, have been spoken in public. Here they are:
1. Carbon dioxide “literally cannot cause global warming.”
This blunt statement that goes against all principles of atmospheric physics was made by Joe Bastardi, a meteorologist of weatherbell.com, on Fox News. He claimed that CO2 does not mix well in the atmosphere (which is not true), and he also used inadequately the First Law of Thermodynamics to support his false theory.
2. “Snow skiing will be hurt – but water skiing will benefit.”
According to an economists from Yale, climate change is not really a problem. Humans are able to adapt to various climates, shopping malls and buildings are equipped with air-conditioning systems, and agriculture is a small part of the economy anyway, so why worry?!
3. “We must demand that more coal be burned to save the Earth from global cooling.”
The author of this masterpiece is Don Blankenship, head of Massey Energy. As a true climate change denier, and a CEO of a coal company, he had to bring up the ultimate argument against the scientific consensus- that of global cooling.
4. Climate change is impossible because “God’s still up there.”
The 2012 U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) could not resist to point out the ignorance and arrogance of scientists, who claim that they can interfere with what He is doing in the climate.
And considering that in 2009 Rep. John Shimkus (R-Illinois) stated that “The Earth will end only when God declares it’s time to be over. Man will not destroy this Earth.“, we really have nothing to worry about.
5. God buried fossil fuels “because he loves to see us find them.”
We surely show bad manners by turning down the opportunity of hunting for hidden treasures that God has so carefully buried for us. According to Bryan Fischer, a director at the American Family Association, that is.
6. “The President was wearing a trench coat it was so cold, but he’s talking about global warming.”
Cold weather disproves climate change. Clearly. Even the U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) uses it in reference to President Obama’s 2013 inauguration speech.
7. “I thought it must be true until I found out what it cost.”
Another brilliant statement by Senator Inhofe made during an interview in 2012, when he stated that he rejects climate science because mitigation is too expensive.
8. Safeguarding the climate is “a worldview that elevates the Earth above man.”
Why not use all resources on Earth, when “humans were put on the planet as creatures of God to have dominion over the Earth, to use it wisely and steward it wisely, but for our benefit not for the Earth’s benefit.”?
This is the question that Rick Santorum, a front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, poses. The only small issue that he seems to neglect is that in order for society to function, it does require a healthy planet.
9. “100 years is a long time . . . There is an extremely high chance that the very nature of human society itself will have changed by that time in ways that render this entire issue moot.”
A brilliant statement by Karl W. Smith, and economist and writer for Forbes. He does not reject climate change, but he is certain that burning of fossil fuels should not stop, as we require economic growth. His essay entitled “In Praise of Dirty Energy: There are Worse Things Than Pollution and We Have Them” is a true masterpiece.
10. “I have a theory about global warming and why people think it’s real. Go back 30, 40 years when there was much less air conditioning in the country. When you didn’t have air conditioning and you left the house, it may in fact have gotten a little cooler out there, because sometimes houses become hot boxes. Especially if you’re on the second or third floor of a house in the summer time and all you’ve got is open windows and maybe a window fan. Or you have some servant standing there fanning you with a piece of paper. When you walked outside, no big deal, it’s still hot as hell. Now, 30, 40 years later, all this air conditioning, and it’s a huge difference when you go outside. When you go outside now, my golly, is it hot. Oh. Global warming. It’s all about the baseline you’re using for comparison.”
Rush Limbaugh, radio talk show host and political commentator. Finally someone painted the real picture. The temperatures are not raising, we are simply confused because of air conditioning.
There is no doubt that climate change has become more of a marketing strategy, than anything else. Politicians use it to win votes, artists use it to sell performances and works, and even scientists use it to win grants. Sadly, this social marketing strategy results in approaches and statements that often defeat the purpose. Can it get any worse? Remains to be seen.
I I would not give a plugged nickel to any of those fools who think they can control nature.Enviromentalist think they can stop global warming.?Who put these idoits in charge?Noone can control nature or any thing to do with climate change.All this is is a scare tactic to raise money for printing their damned lies and scaring people.These are con artists who wants their filth spread inorder to try to control the masses of people in the support of their so called cause of gloom and doom propaganda.God is in charge of this universe,and is in control.
Never underestimate the power of ignorance. Those are some real winning comments!