From The New Republic:
Astoundingly, Sarah Palin has denied that climate change is man-made–not in 1996, not in 1998, not in 2000, not in 2002, but in an interview posted on August 29, 2008.
In response to this question: “What is your take on global warming and how is it affecting our country?” Palin answered: “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.”
Oh mate. I wouldn’t care so much if it weren’t for the fact that both Labour and National politicians seem to constantly take their cues from these American turkeys. She’s also quite keen on drilling large holes all over her own state of Alaska in the search for more oil to feed the addiction. And, look, we’ve got politicians here wanting to do the same thing to the Great South Basin.
I see Rodney Hide has already lined up behind her:
In 1993 some earnest friends with good scientific backgrounds argued with me over global warming: they thought the evidence didn’t back it. Denying anthropic warming was a rational position then – it turned out to be wrong, but it wasn’t stupid.
By 1998 they claimed to be agnostic on the issue. 5 more years of intense research and evidence-gathering by the scientific community had them wavering. Then I thought they were being less rational, as their arguments no longer stood up.
By 2003 it was just obvious that they’d been wrong, and they knew it.
Now it’s 2008. The arctic is circumnavigable for the first time in 125,000 years.
When does denying the obvious become a dementia?
I’d like to believe Palin’s views will damage the Republicans’ electoral chances. After all, surveys like this one (Oct ’07)…
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-10/yu-acg100107.php
… suggested most Americans are now concerned about climate change, and that many will take the candidates’ position on the issue into account when voting:
“A surprising 40 percent of respondents say a presidential candidate’s position on global warming will be either extremely important (16 percent) or very important (24 percent) when casting their ballots.”
However, this very current survey (Aug ’08, PDF)…
http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1067a1Environment2008.pdf
… makes less cheery reading. Maybe the Al Gore effect is fading. Most respondents seemed happy to sacrifice conservation efforts to ensure they can still fill up those SUVs:
“Overall, even with broad conservation efforts underway, 64 percent now rate ‘finding new energy sources’ as more important than improving conservation – up 9 points since
2001”
Many Americans may not be “denying the obvious” any more, but they still seem to be finding it difficult to look beyond their next gas station stop.
Rodney Hide was on National Radio just today denying global warming, saying it was a scam, what a turkey.