House bans the military from acknowledging climate science, national security be damned
Source: Salon
A budget amendment forbids the Pentagon fromspending to study or prepare for the impacts of climate change
LINDSAY ABRAMS
The notoriously anti-science House Science Committee has hit a new low, voting on Thursday to approve a spending bill amendment that would prohibit defense spending on climate change research and the social cost of carbon analysis. Translated: The Pentagon is being ordered to ignore climate science.
Specifically, the amendment, which was introduced by Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., forbids the Department of Defense from in any way utilizing the findings and recommendations of the National Climate Assessment or the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes fifth assessment on climate change, two landmark, comprehensive reports reflecting the work of hundreds of the worlds top climate scientists and experts or, as McKinley referred to it, ideology. In so doing, it renders all that knowledge and understanding effectively irrelevant to national defense.
This is a problem, because understanding and preparing for climate change is an important thing the Department of Defense needs to be able to do, in order to, you know, defend us. Their words: DOD expects climate change to challenge its ability to fulfill its mission in the future. Natural disaster response, increased conflict tied to drought and food and water security and other non-traditional security challenges are all things the militarys been actively working to address. In its 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, as a recent example, the Pentagon identified the impacts of climate change as threat multipliers that may increase the frequency, scale, and complexity of future missions. Its even looking for ways to reduce its own carbon footprint, by cutting back on energy use and switching to renewables.
Not necessary, according to McKinley. Climate change alarmists contend that man-made CO2 is the cause of climate change, he explained on the floor. Most people may not realize that 96 percent of all the CO2 emissions occur naturally. The bill passed Friday, and is now on its way to the Senate, where, for all of our sakes, it will hopefully die.
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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/05/23/house_bans_the_military_from_acknowledging_climate_science_national_security_be_damned/
jwirr
(39,215 posts)awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)you're going to be the first to drown.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,013 posts)The GOP is the problem. The more people see it put in these kinds of terms ("think they are better ..." the more can be convinced the GOP is bad for the country.
LongTomH
(8,636 posts)One of my favorite STTNG episodes!
Turbineguy
(37,355 posts)undermine national security.
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)The Senate will never agree to such language and, at least until 2017, BO would veto any such language and there are insufficient votes in both houses to override a veto.
But this is what we are up against. If for any reason the Republicans take back the Senate in 2014 and hold onto it and the House in 2016 and a Republican is elected President, we are totally screwed.
Under Bush there was an abundance of lunacy within the Executive and Legislative branches but it wasn't on steroids. Yes I hated (hate) the Patriot Act, the use of torture, invasion of Iraq, etc. but what we are dealing with now are people who should be certified as "morons".
They are attempting to rob anyone who has an opinion different than theirs of any voice or power. I don't recall which of the breadbasket states that recently passed a law that made it illegal for any city, county, etc. to pass any laws regarding the minimum wage. That would be decided by the state legislature. I can't believe these people believe in "local" control.
What of Arizona I think it was that passed a law that any gun collected in gun buy-back programs had to be re-sold on the market (i.e. they could not be destroyed).
We are a country that is half filled with nut cases.
LongTomH
(8,636 posts)Last edited Sat May 24, 2014, 09:06 AM - Edit history (1)
......flunking the course!!!!
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)mike_c
(36,281 posts)...there is little hope for that because of the general anti-science and anti-intellectualism of the American public, who repeatedly vote for these sorts of yahoos. This is what an under-educated electorate gets us-- dimwits with an pro-stupid agenda to promote.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)I hope everyone is aware of the cold, hard fact that Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va doesn't love his children, or anyone else's.
Lionel Mandrake
(4,076 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)Lionel Mandrake
(4,076 posts)There may be another explanation besides stupidity. A lot of coal is mined in West Virginia. Maybe Rep. McKinley doesn't want the DoD to "reduce its own carbon footprint".
Of course it's possible he's both evil and stupid, like "W".
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Cha
(297,355 posts)Congress.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)Where's the job's bill? Unemployment, immigration? Oh - B E N G H A Z I
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)The citizens must not know what is going in with the former Republican Party, which is no more.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,071 posts)It burns
[URL=http://www.sherv.net/][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
mountain grammy
(26,627 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)ThoughtCriminal
(14,047 posts)Exposethefrauds
(531 posts)with blue states being pro science and education and red states being anti science and anti education.
We, the intelligent, need collectively to tell the ignorant to STFU they are being stupid instead of pandering to them and treating the BS they spew as having any creditability at all.