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Monday, November 15, 2010
News / Biz Why Cons(servatives) shouldn't be on the energy committee
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Conservative congressional politicians are in the news internationally for shrugging off global climate change realities in favor of rainbows and promises from ancient texts. No shit. Check this out from the United Kingdom's Daily Mail:
A Republican congressman hoping to chair the powerful House Energy Committee refers to the Bible and God on the issue of global warming.Representative John Shimkus insists we shouldn't concerned about the planet being destroyed because God promised Noah it wouldn't happen again after the great flood.
Speaking before a House Energy Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing in March, 2009, Shimkus quoted Chapter 8, Verse 22 of the Book of Genesis.
Meanwhile, our glaciers — aka the earth's air conditioner — are slipping away more rapidly than scientists expected and we're shutting down, not ramping up, their investigations.
From The New York Times' Justin Gillis:
Scientists long believed that the collapse of the gigantic ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica would take thousands of years, with sea level possibly rising as little as seven inches in this century, about the same amount as in the 20th century.But researchers have recently been startled to see big changes unfold in both Greenland and Antarctica.
As a result of recent calculations that take the changes into account, many scientists now say that sea level is likely to rise perhaps three feet by 2100 — an increase that, should it come to pass, would pose a threat to coastal regions the world over.
In the United States, parts of the East Coast and Gulf Coast would be hit hard. In New York, coastal flooding could become routine, with large parts of Queens and Brooklyn especially vulnerable. About 15 percent of the urbanized land in the Miami region could be inundated. The ocean could encroach more than a mile inland in parts of North Carolina.
And! Get this: Instead of paying attention to reality, Cons(ervatives) are freaking out on their fellow politicians for proposing that we phase out 100-plus year-old, inefficient technology. Really? Oh, yes. From Politico.com's Robin Bravender:
Rep. Fred Upton’s support for eco-friendly light bulbs could leave him in the dark in his bid to chair the Energy and Commerce Committee.Conservatives on and off Capitol Hill are waging a campaign to show that the Michigan Republican isn’t conservative enough to chair the powerful committee that will be in the center over fight on health care and energy policy next year.
For proof, they’re pointing to Upton’s support for phasing out some incandescent light bulbs in favor of greener alternatives.
Right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh cited Upton’s promotion of eco-friendly light bulbs evidence that he shouldn’t take the Energy and Commerce gavel.
And here's the kicker, the Cons are fucking serious. They really believe God is going to swoop down and save us from all of the damage we've created, which makes no sense since you'd think they'd want to protect and preserve God's creation to begin with.
This is just another example of why religion and politics should be kept separate. We do not need people who believe the apocalypse is nigh creating the very types of energy policies that got us into this tragic place to begin with, nor do we need Bible thumpers or people who are more focused on what they believe instead of the hard, cold facts — you know, scientific data — to represent us.
The end of the light bulb, from "Made in Germany":
Rhiannon "Rhi" Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.
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