JustTheFacts Max - July 24, 2022 - Society - climat change GOP-Senators - 916 views - 0 Comments - 0 Likes - 0 Reviews
JTFMax:
If you're wondering why no U.S. Republican Senators support Climate change, you're not alone. Despite the recent climate change news, the Republicans have not introduced any bills to address the problem. The Union of Concerned Scientists' McNamara says every part of government must act. That includes Congress. But no U.S. Republican senator has offered a climate bill that matches the reality of scientific research.
Who are the climate deniers in the 117th Congress?
As the number of climate deniers in the 116th Congress dwindles, the issue of fossil fuel industry funding in Congress is a top priority for our country. We must continue to scrutinize fossil fuel industry contributions to Congress to ensure that elected officials are not furthering climate denial. There are currently 138 climate science deniers in the U.S. Congress. Of those, six are senators, and the other 30 are members of the House.
The Center for American Progress has analyzed all 139 Republican members of the 116th Congress. This includes data on who has received lifetime contributions from the fossil fuel industry. Of these, 139 climate deniers represent nearly half of all Republicans in Congress. Of these 139 climate deniers, 68 percent have accepted donations from the oil and gas industries. They have received a total of USD 61.1 million from the fossil fuel industry throughout their careers.
While none of the other climate-denying members of Congress have explicitly denied climate science, many have made statements implying that they do. Rep. Brian Higgins, for example, has repeatedly claimed that he believes in climate science but has not publicly stated it. But, unlike many of his Republican counterparts, he has taken an active role in fighting the former Obama administration's regulations on the environment.
The fossil fuel industry is in big denial.
The political consequences of opposing climate change legislation are enormous for the fossil fuel industry. Recent Republican political events have shown that these senators are more likely to support legislation that will harm their business than to help it. In addition, three former Republican Treasury secretaries have recommended a carbon tax to address climate change. Therefore, if the fossil fuel industry wants to remain politically viable, it must come clean about its role in global warming.
The fossil fuel industry spends millions of dollars on advertising to the public and informing members of Congress. It also funds infrastructure that makes climate denial profitable and politically feasible. However, the fossil fuel industry's lobbying efforts are primarily confined to Washington. Despite the overwhelming evidence, a few key Republican Senators are not even sure if they'll support a climate bill.
Conservative Fundamentalist churches' big denial.
The Tea Party movement was an important starting point for this investigation into climate skepticism and Christian nationalism. However, evangelicals and theologically conservative Christians continue to deny climate change, as reflected in their increased doubt about the causes of global warming. In a recent study, evangelical Christians expressed an increase in their skepticism about climate change by 14 points since 2006.
The debate over climate change is crucial for the Christian fundamentalist church movement. Many evangelicals hold a belief in an imminent physical return of Christ. This belief has led to the development new initiatives in response to the climate crisis. These organizations, however, are not as positive as the environmentalists. Some fundamentalist evangelicals are linked to governments around the world. Evangelicals who deny climate change may become more fervent in hoping for a supernatural 'rescue.'
While religious fundamentalists make up a small minority in the U.S. (less than ten percent of the population), their influence on the political system is massive. The groups' money from fossil fuels has fueled their enormous political power. Some conservative politicians who support combating climate change are too afraid to speak out. In fact, several biblical literalists have been in former President Trump's cabinet. This may have influenced his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
What is Joe Manchin's role in sabotaging U.S. clean energy?
What is Joe Manchin's role in sabotaging the U.S. clean energy policy? As a member of the Senate, Joe Manchin has a disproportionate power to block a major plan to fight climate change and get the U.S. net to zero by 2050. By opposing climate funding and the Republican Party's climate plan, Manchin has effectively blocked action in the Senate. This stance will have profound consequences at home and abroad.
Senator Manchin opposes the Clean Energy Performance Program (CEPP) bill, which would have penalized utilities that don't decarbonize faster. The bill he's blocking would have rewarded utilities that decarbonize at a faster rate and punished those that don't. The current decarbonization rate of U.S. utilities is around 2.3%. However, we must first solve the energy crisis to stop global warming.
But in bizarre events, Joe Manchin has blocked climate legislation, too. Last December, he refused to support the Build Back Better bill because it included $555 billion for climate change. But this week, he voted against the reconciliation bill, which would have allowed the program to allocate climate funds. Climate-focused Democrats are furious about Manchin's actions. Bernie Sanders has compared him to the Bosnian Serb scholar Gavrilo Princip, who allegedly stabbed Archduke Franz Ferdinand to ignite World War I. The decision triggered devastating warfare.
What is climate change?
Modernization has pumped enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which in turn causes higher temperatures. These emissions are also responsible for the "Greenhouse Effect," which traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. The increased CO2 in the atmosphere results from human activity and has caused the planet's climate to spiral out of control. The effects of climate change can be seen worldwide, including higher temperatures, more rain, and even the loss of some species.
Scientists have estimated that if global warming continues at its current rate, Earth's average temperature will rise by 4C. This would cause devastating heat waves, a significant rise in sea levels, and the extinction of many species. Already, extreme weather events are increasing in intensity and threatening lives. The temperature rise will also increase the severity of storms and droughts and may even make farmland desert. In addition, the hottest temperatures recorded in the past two thousand years could lead to devastating hurricanes, droughts, and historic floods.
Climate Emergency Act of 2021
As climate change threatens our environment, Democrats push President Biden to declare a climate emergency, but Republicans are standing in the way. The Real Emergencies Act clarifies that the president cannot declare a climate change emergency. It also prevents the president from using the three primary statutory authorities to declare a national emergency. However, actual national emergencies and significant disasters can still be declared.
In addition to rejecting the science of climate change, many Republicans deny it exists. While Republicans generally reject climate change science, far-right and mainstream parties have adopted opposing views. Unfortunately, these positions are not in line with most American citizens. The climate crisis is accurate, and the only way to solve it is to address its causes and mitigate its effects.
As a result, former President Obama's Climate Emergency Act has fallen short of its goal of establishing a national climate emergency. Republicans have failed to pass this bill because Sen. Manchin, a West Virginia Republican, has blocked the most significant part of the legislation. In addition to the Senate's gridlock, the House has failed to pass any climate legislation. The only hope is for President Biden to declare a national climate emergency, allowing the president to invoke federal laws such as the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Biden stated that he would take solid executive action.
Mitch McConnell of coal state Kentucky is biggest obstructionist.
The recent campaign finance reports on Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky senator, reveal that he is a champion of the coal industry and has received $3 million in campaign donations from coal, oil, and gas companies. He has favored these industries with tax breaks and regulatory cuts. Despite this, he has voted to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement and has framed efforts to reign in the coal industry as meddling.
But how has McConnell benefited from his position as the 7th term senator of coal state Kentucky and majority and presently as minority leader of the United States Senate? He has used his position to his advantage, securing the tax reform bill and putting young conservative justices on the Supreme Court. Yet he has been a target for the right-wing in general and among coal-state voters. But his enduring popularity is in his coal-state Kentucky.
Al Gore predicted the climate problem in 2005
"An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore, released in 2006, was a well-received film by climate scientists. According to National Snow and Ice Data Center scientist Ted Scambos, Gore got most of the science right. Climate scientists agree that Al Gore's message is still relevant today. However, some facts may need to be revised.
During the late 2000s, Al Gore cited studies claiming that the Arctic ice cap would disappear by 2013. However, he did not say the ice cap would melt by 2013. Instead, he cited studies that he mischaracterized. As a result, some scientists argued that Gore's predictions were overstated or misinterpreted. Nevertheless, Gore's predictions were no surprise given the increasing rate of severe weather events.
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