Back in July, the U.S. Senate took up discussion on a resolution to acknowledge the reality of climate change and its risk to the United States. Such a resolution may seem like a no-brainer to you, so much so that it might seem unnecessary, like a resolution to acknowledge, say, the roundness of the earth. Senator James Inhofe (R, OK), objected to the resolution, citing a petition of average citizens who question the science of climate change.
In response to Sen. Inhofe, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D, RI) made the following statement on the Senate floor. This short, seven-minute monologue is perhaps the best refutation of climate change denial I have heard. He’s slow to get going – skip to 2:25 to get to the meat of it.
I have tried over time, and in particular over the last eight months or so, to learn as much as I can about climate science; I am concerned about the world I am leaving to my children. In doing so, I have tried to consult experts on the topic, both through primary and secondary sources. What has been remarkable to me in such consultation has been the total lack of apparent controversy among experts over the fact of the earth’s warming due to man-made carbon emissions.
Senator Whitehouse does a great job of naming some of the most prominent organizations that view climate change as established fact: every major scientific society, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United State Navy, the Department of Defense, the Property Casualty Insurance and Reinsurance Industry, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Mars, Nike, Google, and Apple. These organizations are all in a position to take an unbiased view of the facts around climate change; they have nothing to gain by accepting or denying global warming.
The only organizations I have found that question the science of climate change are those that benefit from the burning of fossil fuels, either directly or indirectly.
So, if you haven’t already, let’s stop pretending there’s a debate and focus on how to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. We owe that honesty and resolve to ourselves and to our children.
