Trying to take attention away from Donald Trump‘s belief that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese, Mike Pence finally admitted this week that “there’s no question” human activity influences the climate.
Pence, appearing separately [from campaign manager Kellyanne Conway] on CNN, said, “let’s follow the science,” but he warned against rushing into environmental restrictions that drive jobs out of the country and put Americans out of work.
“What Donald Trump said was a hoax is that bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., can control the climate of the Earth,” Pence said. “There’s no question that the activities that take place in this country and in countries around the world have some impact on the environment and some impact on climate.”
That’s a nice start… but I have a few questions about what he just said.
1) Why try to gaslight people over something stupid Trump said in the past? We can all see the tweet.
2) If climate change is a real problem, why wouldn’t we put restrictions on companies to slow the damage? Pence is admitting there’s a problem while nixing the very things that could help solve it.
3) When did Pence change his mind on the issue? In 2009, he told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that even scientists sided with him against global warming: “There is a denial of the growing skepticism in the scientific community about global warming.”
4) If Pence says we should “follow the science,” when’s he going to come out and say he accepts evolution? Because as far as we know, he’s still a Creationist.
If this is an attempt at damage control, it’s pathetic. It’s not even real acceptance given Pence’s hedging on the issue. (How much impact, exactly, is “some” impact?) Reporters should ask him to explain what climate change is and how humans play a role in it. I guarantee you Gary Johnson talking about foreign affairs would sound more coherent.
(Image via Gino Santa Maria / Shutterstock.com)
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