Perry: No Man-Made Global Warming
New presidential candidate calls it a ‘theory’ that’s not proven
Texas Governor Rick Perry, who just threw his hat in the ring as a GOP presidential candidate, told voters in New Hampshire this morning that he does not believe in man-made global warming.
“I think we’re seeing almost weekly, or even daily, scientists that are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change,” the Texas governor said on the first stop of a two-day trip to the first-in-the-nation primary state.
Right now, however, Texas is suffering from the state’s worst drought since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Crops are wilting, cattle are dying, drinking water is drying up, and wildfires have engulfed 1.8 million acres of land, destroying 400 homes.
Last week, Perry took dramatic action to ward off these disasters. Rather than tackle the causes of the problem, he issued a proclamationcalling on the people of Texas to ask God to bring water to their parched state.
“Whereas, throughout our history, both as a state and as individuals, Texans have been strengthened, assured and lifted up through prayer; it seems right and fitting that the people of Texas should join together in prayer to humbly seek an end to this devastating drought and these dangerous wildfires …”
Meanwhile, Texas continues to dump more carbon pollution into the atmosphere than any other state in the nation, more than California and Pennsylvania combined. Were it a separate country, Texas would be the seventh largest carbon polluter in the world.
For his part, Perry has signed legislation to create 11 new coal plants for the state and has worked to undermine the government’s right to limit greenhouse gas pollution. And in his book Fed Up, he calls global warming “all one contrived phony mess that is falling apart under its own weight.”
Perhaps, indeed, as Texas burns, God will come along and bail him out. Meanwhile, we could all pray for a president who takes action to curb human-caused atmospheric pollution.
What do you say? Rick Perry is gaining a lot of public attention as a can-do candidate. What’s your reaction to his comments about the climate? Let us know in a comment or on Facebook.