We’re Looking For Ten Climate Scientists Who Will Do What The Ten Florida Scientists Have Done.

Horn, Bob | October 7, 2014 | Leave a Comment Download as PDF

A recent Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB) blog explained how ten climate scientists have influenced the close Florida governor’s race.  Here’s a follow-up to that previously posted report.

The “I’m not a scientist” brush-off

Florida’s Gov. Scott who is running for re-election, has brushed off reporters and questioners who ask about climate change with “I’m not a scientist” and swiftly moves on to other topics.  Many other Senators, Governors, and Representatives are using the same kind of brush-off, in an attempt rhetorically to get around having to say straight out that they don’t understand or don’t believe that climate change is happening and humans are causing it.

But….

As an article by Prof. Jeff Chanton in this MAHB Blog described, ten Florida scientists confronted Gov. Scott with a letter that says in part “We are scientists…And we would like the opportunity to explain what is at stake for our state.”

Scientist’s success by presenting the science

They got the meeting, partially with the help of a climate policy advocate, Susan Glickman, who made sure to have local and national reporters on hand. According to Katherine Bagley, a writer for Inside Climate News, “In Tight Florida’s Governor’s Race, Climate Change Is a Central Issue.” The subhead of that article summarized the effect of the scientist’s meeting: “Voter concern over vanishing beaches and fresh water may force GOP Gov. Rick Scott to run against his party’s platform and his record.”

Needed ten scientists in twenty-five states

Now here’s the kicker… “Over 56 percent — 133 members — of the current Republican caucus in the House of Representatives deny the basic tenets of climate science. 65 percent (30 members) of the Senate Republican caucus also deny climate change. What this means is that they have made public statements indicating that they question or reject that climate change is real, is happening, and is caused by human consumption of fossil fuels,” according to CAP Action War Room.  Many of them are using the same or similar “I’m not a scientist” brush-offs, such as “I don’t know enough.”  “There’s still debate on the issue.”  “I met a scientist who said that the science isn’t settled.”

Could you be one of the ten in your state?

Scientists are in a great position to respond credibly to this brush-off and make an enormous difference. And when you step up, it does not take much to get the facts on the table for all to see. Are there ten scientists in these states who can get together to put climate change as an issue in their campaigns?  I hope so. And please let us hear about it.

Which congressional districts and which states?

The list of states where this education of public officials is needed can be found here.

Could you be one of the non-scientists who help?

Are there non-scientists like Susan Glickman, the Florida Director of the Southern alliance for Clean Energy, who brought the Florida scientists together, and who got the local and national press to the meeting with the governor, who can facilitate this action in their states? I hope so.

Oh, and by the way, the election is less than a month away.


Here’s more data from CAP Action War Room:

 “Members of GOP leadership and the committees that make critical decisions on national energy policy and air pollution have even higher concentrations:

  • 90 percent of the Republican leadership in both House and Senate deny climate change
  • 17 out of 22 Republican members of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, or 77 percent, are climate deniers
  • 22 out of 30 Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, or 73 percent deny the reality of climate change
  • 100 percent of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Republicans have said climate change is not happening or that humans do not cause it.”

AND, THIS JUST IN …

…The “Florida Ten” have become the Florida 42 and are planning a further conference before the election.  They have gotten international coverage from Reuters on this.  Here’s a partial quote:

“TALLAHASSEE (Reuters) – A group of 42 scientists from Florida universities submitted a joint letter on Thursday urging Governor Rick Scott and other state leaders to participate in a summit this fall to seek solutions for climate change.

The group plans to host a conference of state and national policymakers and scientists Oct. 6 in Tampa, along with engineers and entrepreneurs who have “job-creating solutions.” Scott, who is a Republican, has come under fire from environmentalists for not taking stronger action over sea level rise and climate change.”


HERE IS A LIST OF THE REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS IN THE DENIER CAUCUS AND THEIR DISTRICTS

ALABAMA: Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04); Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL-06); Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL-05); Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL); Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

ALASKA: Rep. Don Young (R-AK-At Large)

ARIZONA: Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ-08); Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04); Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

ARKANSAS: Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR-01); Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR-02); Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)

CALIFORNIA: Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA-42); Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA-10); Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA-50); Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA-49); Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01); Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA-04); Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-48)

COLORADO: Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO-06); Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO-04); Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO-05); Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO-03)

FLORIDA: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL-01); Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-08); Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

GEORGIA: Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA-10); Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA-09); Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA-11); Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA-01); Rep. Tom Price (R-GA-06); Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA-03); Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

IDAHO: Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)

ILLINOIS: Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL-14); Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL-06); Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL-15)

INDIANA: Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08); Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN-04); Rep. Todd Young (R-IN-09); Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN)

IOWA: Rep. Steve King (R-IA-04); Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

KANSAS: Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-02); Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS-04); Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)

KENTUCKY: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04); Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY-01); Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

LOUISIANA: Rep. William Cassidy (R-LA-06); Rep. John Fleming (R-LA-04); Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA-01); Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

MARYLAND: Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-01)

MICHIGAN: Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI-01); Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI-04); Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI-02); Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI-10); Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI-08); Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-06); Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI-07)

MINNESOTA: Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN-06); Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN-03)

MISSISSIPPI: Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS-03); Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

MISSOURI: Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-03); Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04); Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-02); Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

MONTANA: Rep. Steve Daines (R-MT-At Large)

NEBRASKA: Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE-02); Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE); Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE); Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE-03)

NEVADA: Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-02)

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

NEW JERSEY: Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ-05); Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ-07); Rep. Jon Runyan (R-NJ-03)

NEW MEXICO: Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM-02)

NEW YORK: Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY-11)

NORTH CAROLINA: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05); Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-08); Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC-03); Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC-09); Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)

NORTH DAKOTA: Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND-At Large); Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)

OHIO: Rep. John Boehner (R-OH-08); Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH-01); Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07); Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-06); Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH-12); Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)

OKLAHOMA: Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK-01); Rep. James Lankford (R-OK-05); Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-02); Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK); Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)

PENNSYLVANIA: Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA-11); Rep. Charles Dent (R-PA-15); Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA-18); Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-04); Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA-12); Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA-09); Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA-05); Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA)

SOUTH CAROLINA: Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03); Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC-04); Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC-05); Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-02)

SOUTH DAKOTA: Sen. John Thune (R-SD)

TENNESSEE: Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06); Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07); Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. (R-TN-02); Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03); Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01)

TEXAS: Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX-06); Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX-26); Rep. John Carter (R-TX-31); Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX-11); Rep. John Culberson (R-TX-07); Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX-27); Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX-17); Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX-01); Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX-04); Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10); Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX-19); Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX-22); Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX-02); Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21); Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX-36); Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX-13); Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX); Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT-01); Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-03); Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT-02); Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

VIRGINIA: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA-07); Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA-04); Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06); Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09); Rep. Robert Hurt (R-VA-05); Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA-02); Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-01)

WEST VIRGINIA: Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV-02); Rep. David McKinley (R-WV-01)

WISCONSIN: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI-01); Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI-05); Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

 WYOMING: Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY-At Large); Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)

DOCUMENTATION Quotes that these Senators and Congresspeople have made about climate change are listed on this website: http://thinkprogress.org/climate-denier-caucus/

Click here to view a PDF-verison of this list

Bob Horn is affiliated with the Human Sciences and Technology Advanced Research Institute, Stanford University


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