Palin on Climate Change

September 12, 2008

Iâ€™m glad that Governor Sarah Palin agrees with John McCain on climate change. Climate change is the single greatest environmental challenge of our time. The preponderance of scientific evidence points to the warming of our climate from the burning of fossil fuels.

But this is what she said before she was a candidate for vice president:

She has told the Internet news site Newsmax, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. … I’m not one, though, who would attribute it to being man-made.”

In an interview with a Fairbanks newspaper within the last year, Palin said: “I’m not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity.” ABC cited the interview as being at odds with her statement.

I can respect someone who changes there mind when more or better information becomes available (especially on a complex scientific issue such as this) but Palin claims she never denied manâ€™s role.

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Category Posted in Climate Change, Presidential election, Sarah Palin

8 Responses to “Palin on Climate Change”

Reasic said:

September 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am

This is just one of the many inconsistencies in Palin’s record compared to her claims. I wonder if what she meant in this interview was that she’s never said man has NO role in causing climate change. That may technically be consistent with her statements that humans aren’t the cause, if what she meant was that human activity has played a role, but isn’t the dominant factor. That statement, though, is still contradicted by scientific evidence, so she’s splitting hairs.

The proof that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about lies in this statement:

In the ABC interview, Palin said she believes that “man’s activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming, climate change. … Regardless, though, of the reason for climate change, whether it’s entirely, wholly caused by man’s activities or is part of the cyclical nature of our planet â€” the warming and the cooling trends â€” regardless of that, John McCain and I agree that we gotta do something about it.”

The main argument against taking action is that human activity isn’t a major factor, in which case there’s not much we can do anyway. So, it seems that she’s just making a politically expedient statement here. It appeases the naysayers by not affirming man’s role, and it aims to appease activists by claiming to support taking action.

The more I learn about Palin, the less I like. She seems to be for more of the same failed Bush policies than even McCain.
Silke said:

September 12th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Good point, Reasic. Palin may be trying to have it both ways. Her earlier statement about Al Gore certainly pushes the buttons of those who deny man is a major factor in climate change. They like to make fun of Al Gore, which is fine with me since Iâ€™m not a huge fan of his â€“ but it misses the point entirely. Now she says we have to listen to the warnings from scientists â€“ which actually is the point. Personally I like how John McCain frames the issue:

It’s like Tony Blair said: Suppose we’re wrong, and there’s no such thing as greenhouse-gas emissions, and we adopt green technologies. All we’ve done is give our kids a better planet. But suppose we’re right, and do nothing? Then what kind of a legacy are we handing on to future generations of Americans?

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/10/15/mccain/
Don Singleton said:

September 13th, 2008 at 4:31 am

There is a big difference between “man made” and “man contributes to”, and reputable scientists have said that Gore’s alarmist predictions are not likely to take place.
Silke said:

September 13th, 2008 at 6:23 am

Which is why, as Sarah Palin points out, itâ€™s important to listen to reputable scientists:

“Warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”

“Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely (90%) due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”

http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg1.htm
Don Singleton said:

September 13th, 2008 at 6:35 am

And on TV yesterday I heard there was a report out that indicated that because of sunspot activity and other factors we were in for a cooling cycle, of at least ten years, and possibly as many as fifty years. I wonder how long we will be in the cooling cycle before the “reputable scientists” notice it, and what they will blame it on. Probably the “anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations” are causing the cooling. I know it will all be man’s fault.
Silke said:

September 13th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Don said: And on TV yesterday I heard there was a report out that indicated that because of sunspot activity and other factors we were in for a cooling cycle, of at least ten years, and possibly as many as fifty years.

Don, I donâ€™t know if what you heard on TV is true or not. Thatâ€™s why itâ€™s important to make sure your information comes from a credible scientific source. The media routinely gets things wrong, especially when it comes to scientific topics.
Don Singleton said:

September 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pm

The media does get things wrong from time to time, but usually when they intentionally distort a story it is to be politically correct, and in this case that would say they would say global warming is increasing.

We will just have to see what average temperatures are like the next few years. This winter is certainly supposed to be a cold one.
Greta Perry said:

September 13th, 2008 at 7:26 pm

I bet Charles Gibson wishes he had you whispering into his ear Silke!