Your One-Stop Shop For "I'm Not A Scientist" Politicians! Visit Today! Paid Hacks Are Standing By!

[hatrack]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday joined the growing ranks of politicians and political figures who actively oppose any policy to fight climate change, but also claim to not know the science of climate change. McConnell, for his part, used one of most recently popular adages to make this claim in an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer: “I’m not a scientist.” “We can debate this forever,” McConnell reportedly said in response to the Enquirer’s inquiries on whether he agrees with the 97 percent of climate scientists who say human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming. “I’m not a scientist. I’m interested in protecting Kentucky’s economy.”

Climate scientists themselves have derided the tactic of of claiming ignorance on whether climate change exists, particularly from politicians, who are frequently presented with information curated by scientists to explain what’s going on with the climate. The National Climate Assessment, for example, was written by scientists and other experts specifically so that members of Congress could understand climate change and how it affects the country.

“Personally, I don’t think it proper for any American to use that argument [that they're not scientist],” Donald. J Wuebbles, a coordinating lead author for the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2013 assessment report, said at the time.

Still, that hasn’t stopped many of our country’s most prominent politicians from saying they’re not sure whether humans are the primary drivers of climate change — whether that’s because of the fact that they’re “not a scientist” or otherwise. Here is a list of politicians and political figures who have made the claim so far.

EDIT

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/03/3575849/not-a-scientist/

[JoePhilly]

1. They are following the Tobacco wars playbook.

"I am not a scientist" was one of the last "arguments" the politicians made as the science became more and more overwhelming.

They started with "the science is wrong", then "the science is unclear", then "I'm too dumb to understand the science" ... aka "I'm not a scientist".

[yellowcanine]

2. Ronald Reagan actually started this trend.

Remember the "polluting trees?"

The Genius of Ronald Reagan: Direct Quotes from the Gipper Himself

"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do." -- Ronald Reagan, 1981

"A tree is a tree. How many more do you have to look at?" -- Ronald Reagan, 1966, opposing expansion of Redwood National Park as governor of California

"I have flown twice over Mt St. Helens out on our west coast. I'm not a scientist and I don't know the figures, but I have a suspicion that that one little mountain has probably released more sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere of the world than has been released in the last ten years of automobile driving or things of that kind that people are so concerned about." -- Ronald Reagan, 1980. (Actually, Mount St. Helens, at its peak activity, emitted about 2,000 tons of sulfur dioxide per day, compared with 81,000 tons per day by cars.)

http://www.allhatnocattle.net/reagan%20quotes.htm