Thursday, September 29, 2016

Republican Thinks We're in a "Cooling Trend."

Send in the clowns.  Scary, ignorant people like Marsha Blackburn are almost funny, except they vote on things that affect our lives and the future of the human race.  Well... wait a minute.  I guess that is kind of funny.


Marsha Blackburn is 64 years old.  She is a United States Representative from Tennessee.  She is the vice chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  And she thinks there is no such thing as Global Warming.

Blackburn has a degree in Home Economics (a field most of us plumbed the depths of in the 7th grade) from Mississippi State University.  She was briefly vetted as a possible running mate for Donald Trump, and now serves as a "surrogate" for his campaign.

After the first presidential debate on Monday night, a reporter asked Blackburn to clarify Trump's stance on climate change - specifically how Trump once tweeted that he believes Global Warming is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.

Reporter: During the debate Donald Trump definitively said that he never once said that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. But here is a tweet where he says just that. [Attempts to show her the tweet.]

BLACKBURN: Well, I don’t have my glasses on.

Reporter: Come on! OK, I’ll read it. [Reads tweet]

BLACKBURN: Well, many times when we talk about issues related to the climate, y’all have countries that would not be forced to come into compliance with some of these agreements.  Then they will say they don’t have to abide by that, they plan to buy more coal.

Reporter: Do you believe that climate change is a hoax?

BLACKBURN: I do not believe in climate change.  I think the Earth is in a cooling trend.  It is not in a warming trend.



When the reporter went on to mention that nine of the hottest years on record have taken place in the past ten years, Blackburn answered: “We have also seen the past ten years a little bit of a cooling.”



Marsha Blackburn thirty years ago, during her Image Consultant days.  Kinda cute, weren't she?  Reminds me a little bit of this iconic 1970s pop star:


CHARO.

What Else Does Marsha Blackburn Believe?

People in Tennessee vote for Marsha Blackburn.  Repeatedly.  A lot of people.  She's been in the U.S. House continuously since 2002.  I've been to Tennessee before, but this makes me not want to go there anymore.  

So, since Blackburn is something of a decider for the many people who vote her into office again and again (as well as for ourselves), let's see what other kinds of ideas are rattling around in that big pretty head of hers:

- She was against the Affordable Care Act (of course), and believed that its passage would result in "death panels";

- She believes abortions should be illegal after 22 weeks;

- She is against Net Neutrality;

- She is against stem cell research, and in March of this year, in a move straight out of the fascist playbook, attempted to subpoena the "names of researchers, technicians and medical personnel involved in fetal tissue handling;"

- She rejects the theory of evolution.


One of my favorite things about living in the modern United States is how it is a morass of scientists pushing the envelope of discovery (often in directions it might be better not to go), and elected officials who apparently remain attached to ideas that were popular during the medieval period.

It seems maybe a little redundant to say this, but:  People like Marsha Blackburn in positions of influence do not bode well for civilization and its attempts to deal with the looming effects of climate change.  


See Related Article:  Quick Fix for Global Warming #1: Blank White Canvas


2 comments:

  1. you can at least try to hide your bias in the slightest little bit and make counter arguments for your position.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That would be like trying to argue that the Earth is round. The only people who don't believe in climate change are Trumpkins and the Christian Taliban. Also, some kooks who follow Alex Jones.

    ReplyDelete