A New Wrinkle in the Climate Change Discussion
For some reason, Republican Pa. Sen. Scott Wagner (pictured), in the midst of a run for governor, felt compelled to explain climate change to an audience: “I haven’t been in a science class in a long time, but the earth moves closer to the sun every year — you know the rotation of the earth,” Wagner said, according to State Impact, an NPR affiliate.
“We’re moving closer to the sun.” He added, “We have more people. You know, humans have warm bodies. So is heat coming off? Things are changing, but I think we are, as a society, doing the best we can.”
It’s hard to imagine why someone who aspires to be taken seriously would say something like that. If you’re completely ignorant on a certain subject, how hard is it to keep your mouth shut?
And yet I still see long threads on Facebook arguing about the existence and causes of climate change. Why on Earth are people wasting their breath? The other day I wrote to someone, “Suppose I had a theory that the pyramids in Egypt weren’t actually tombs, but rather ancient bowling alleys or home improvement mega-stores. How much effort would you expend in trying to straighten me out?”
Silence is golden.
Craig,
In the immortal words of a former President, “there you go again” !
The concept the Pyramids were constructed as gigantic tombs, is inaccurate and a popular myth. There are people buried in Westminster Abby also, but the primary purpose of building the Abby wasn’t as a tomb.
Sen. Scott Wagner isn’t one of my favorite people and I agree his remarks regarding climate change are unhelpful and ignorant.
On the other hand Bill McKibbon’s observation ” scientists have proved movement of the planet closer to the sun couldn’t have an impact on climate change” is equally bizarre.
Curiously, Senator Wagner has owned and operated a Waste Disposal company called Penn Waste. The company is highly regarded for it’s dedication to environmental waste disposal innovations and initiatives.
The companies presentation at the Stifel Waste Expo Investor Summit, last year was intelligent, insightful and progressive. Senator Wagner speaks passionately about need for environmental waste disposal and encourages high standard even if it means less profit.
People are often contradictions.