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spanone

(135,838 posts)
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 10:37 AM Apr 2014

Another Obama nominee in trouble? .....for believing in science.

Another presidential nominee may have trouble getting confirmed, this time for believing science that shows a connection between climate change and extreme weather.

At a confirmation hearing for Janet McCabe, President Obama’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air and Radiation office, Alabama Republican Senator Jeff Sessions said he could not support her because of her views on climate change.

f you continue to insist that we’ve had more hurricanes in the last century and that they’ve increased as a result of global warming — climate change — I don’t see how I can support your nomination,” Sessions said.

Sessions, who serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee, has long denied the existence of man-made climate change.


http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-nominee-janet-mccabe-trouble-over-climate-change
54 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Another Obama nominee in trouble? .....for believing in science. (Original Post) spanone Apr 2014 OP
I sometimes have to wonder if they consider being pig ignorant as a virtue. Arkansas Granny Apr 2014 #1
Do Not Doubt It, Ma'am: They Do The Magistrate Apr 2014 #2
it appears mr sessions lacks the ability to read & comprehend spanone Apr 2014 #3
... Lady Freedom Returns Apr 2014 #6
Of course they do. In states where they are in control they have some of the poorest schools that jwirr Apr 2014 #13
Long history of punishing reading slaves ErikJ Apr 2014 #22
Exactly even back then it was a control thing. jwirr Apr 2014 #24
I remember being shocked when a Gov requested no subject be taught that teaches critical analysis. Auntie Bush Apr 2014 #28
They honestly believe the worse motives because that is what THEY do.... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2014 #17
pig ignorant kardonb Apr 2014 #19
Is Sessions in line yet to see that new flat Earth movie? Johonny Apr 2014 #4
GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING!!!! Lady Freedom Returns Apr 2014 #5
My response would be along the lines of TheKentuckian Apr 2014 #7
Hear Hear, Sir The Magistrate Apr 2014 #20
I don't think we can afford to coddle these fools any more TheKentuckian Apr 2014 #26
I agree this must stop Mr. Mustard Apr 2014 #41
Damn straight TheKentuckian Apr 2014 #42
Sessions isn't that stupid G_j Apr 2014 #8
Exactly. He knows what sells and who is willing to buy. (nt) PosterChild Apr 2014 #30
The stupid burns malaise Apr 2014 #9
Many of them do caraher Apr 2014 #11
+1 !! exactly Freedumb! lunasun Apr 2014 #43
They're considering having their 2016 GOP Convention in Las Vegas......during the summer months!!! LongTomH Apr 2014 #23
The air will smell like 40+ years of repression Arkana Apr 2014 #51
Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2014 #50
Republicans can no longer filibuster nominees so I see no trouble ahead for her. Bandit Apr 2014 #10
ffs everyone knows that extreme weather is caused by gay marriage frylock Apr 2014 #12
That’s right and calling witchcraft science does not make it good. Nobel_Twaddle_III Apr 2014 #29
Are Category 4 and 5 hurricanes increasing in number? FarCenter Apr 2014 #14
He's a nasty little shit pscot Apr 2014 #15
That is the perfect description of that nasty little shit. pangaia Apr 2014 #18
ANY excuse to deny Obama and obstruct good governance. nt Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2014 #16
when in hell handmade34 Apr 2014 #21
maybe after a major city is destroyed from global warming? probably not. ideology is blind. spanone Apr 2014 #25
Katrina destroyed New Orleans. dotymed Apr 2014 #27
We need to challenge the framing that acceptance of scientific facts truebluegreen Apr 2014 #31
Hear hear! NastyRiffraff Apr 2014 #40
Is he a climate change denier, Armadotrasgo Apr 2014 #32
Distinction without a difference Prophet 451 Apr 2014 #54
The Know-Nothing Party, formerely known as the GOP~ blkmusclmachine Apr 2014 #33
I really hate how the MSM uses the phrase "believing in science". Vashta Nerada Apr 2014 #34
Does it really matter, Sen. Sessions? AverageJoe90 Apr 2014 #35
JHC.. The Stupid burns so bright HOT. Cha Apr 2014 #36
Everybody knows that Hurricanes are just God's punishment for looking at naughty pictures. Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2014 #37
I heard it was because we weren't mean enough to gay people. FiveGoodMen Apr 2014 #52
Re. Sessions - what an asinine thing to say. Ed Suspicious Apr 2014 #38
Sessions is a moron. GoneFishin Apr 2014 #39
Help me!!!!!! I have a very serious question. I truly don't understand why these nirvana555 Apr 2014 #44
I am not sure if you are serious. But my opinion is that the actual fuel behind climate change GoneFishin Apr 2014 #45
They think god made the universe just for them and wouldn't allow climate change to happen FiveGoodMen Apr 2014 #53
He's actually not. JoeyT Apr 2014 #47
Sometimes I think people should be required to pass a basic literacy test to run for office. Chemisse Apr 2014 #46
If only we have some proof or something Botany Apr 2014 #48
Post removed Post removed Apr 2014 #49

Arkansas Granny

(31,517 posts)
1. I sometimes have to wonder if they consider being pig ignorant as a virtue.
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 10:41 AM
Apr 2014

And I mean no disrespect to pigs.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
13. Of course they do. In states where they are in control they have some of the poorest schools that
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 12:13 PM
Apr 2014

exist. And I do not mean poor in lack of money although that is also true. They deliberately dumb down their children.

 

ErikJ

(6,335 posts)
22. Long history of punishing reading slaves
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:15 PM
Apr 2014

If slave was caught reading he would be whipped. After Civil War they would burn their books.

Auntie Bush

(17,528 posts)
28. I remember being shocked when a Gov requested no subject be taught that teaches critical analysis.
Sat Apr 12, 2014, 10:29 AM
Apr 2014

Heaven forbid their people learn to think and analyze what the politicians say.

No wonder they don't believe in science or global warming! Such fools.

 

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)
17. They honestly believe the worse motives because that is what THEY do....
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 12:58 PM
Apr 2014

They just ASSUME everyone else does the same thing and that's how things work.

On the subject of Global Warming - Climate Change" they have come to the conclusion that it is a SCAM perpetrated by the anti-Capitalists of the world to raise money.

A while back Limbaugh went into hysterics over a poll that showed a majority of Americas said they wouldn't mind seeing their taxes go up a little to fix the issue and Limbaugh exclaimed, "Do you see what's happening here???"

It all went downhill after that with the notion that scientists were standing in line at some kind of pay window and someone from the government was handing them stacks of cash for studies that fit the agenda.

Because,....you know,.....GREED is a motive they understand.

Lady Freedom Returns

(14,120 posts)
5. GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING!!!!
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 11:00 AM
Apr 2014

The one place that we need a person like Janet McCabe, they don't want to support your nomination because she is the right person!

TheKentuckian

(25,026 posts)
7. My response would be along the lines of
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 11:05 AM
Apr 2014

Senator, if you are expecting to ever get a nomination that cannot read, do basic arithmetic, or comprehend basic physics for this or ANY other position whatsoever then I am afraid the Senator is setting himself up for consistent disappointment fueled by unrealistic and frankly frightening expectations of a person of basic education living in the 21st century with a shred of honesty anywhere in their mortal frame.

TheKentuckian

(25,026 posts)
26. I don't think we can afford to coddle these fools any more
Sat Apr 12, 2014, 03:41 AM
Apr 2014

It is almost as fundamentally dishonest as spouting their bullshit to dignify it as anything but tomfoolery, at best.

Mr. Mustard

(63 posts)
41. I agree this must stop
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 12:28 PM
Apr 2014

and no matter how fired up the Dem base becomes, it requires our Dem leaders to take risks and call these jerks out, each and every time.

But that would jeopardize their cushy jobs, wouldn't it?

So, the mass extinctions, fossil fuels causing climate change that threaten humans has become political.

We should be running around like our hair is on fire, but we fiddle while the earth melts.

caraher

(6,278 posts)
11. Many of them do
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 12:00 PM
Apr 2014

Unfortunately, even if there are more hurricanes, they have alternative explanations like... ummm, maybe God's wrath over gay marriage?

LongTomH

(8,636 posts)
23. They're considering having their 2016 GOP Convention in Las Vegas......during the summer months!!!
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:24 PM
Apr 2014

The idea of moving the convention up a few months is to give them a head start on the primary campaign.

Let's see.....what is it about high summer in Las Vegas? Oh, yeah! Triple digit temperatures. The hotels and convention hall will be air conditioned, of course, but they will have to go outside at some point!

Response to malaise (Reply #9)

Bandit

(21,475 posts)
10. Republicans can no longer filibuster nominees so I see no trouble ahead for her.
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 11:22 AM
Apr 2014

Even if every single Republican votes against her nomination, which I am sure they will, it won't matter because Democrats have the Majority.

 

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)
14. Are Category 4 and 5 hurricanes increasing in number?
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 12:20 PM
Apr 2014
In September 2005, a paper published in Science magazine reported that worldwide, the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes had increased 80% in the past 30 years. The paper, (Webster et al., 2005), titled "Changes in Tropical Cyclone Number, Duration, and Intensity in a Warming Environment", linked the rise in storms to increasing sea surface temperatures and concluded that "global data indicate a 30-year trend toward more frequent and intense hurricanes." The authors, led by Dr. Peter Webster of Georgia Tech and Dr. Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, argued that this was consistent with climate models that have predicted a future increase in frequency of the most intense hurricanes due to human-emitted greenhouse gases. This paper, along with another paper published in August, "Increasing Destructiveness of Tropical Cyclones over the past 30 years", by Dr. Kerry Emanuel of MIT, showing an increase in hurricane power and longevity in recent years, created a huge stir in the media. However, there is a large amount of uncertainty in the hurricane intensity data used by both papers, and their findings should be considered as preliminary evidence that the global incidence of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes may be increasing. There are good reasons to believe that the actual increase in Category 4 and 5 hurricanes is far lower than the 80% increase found by Webster et al.


http://www.wunderground.com/education/webster.asp

handmade34

(22,756 posts)
21. when in hell
Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:03 PM
Apr 2014

will people vote the ignorant assholes out? sometimes I don't know what to do with the anger I feel towards the idiots running our country

a little research... Sessions is upset that Janet McCabe claims hurricanes are on the increase because of human induced climate change... Sessions says that data collected by the IPCC directly contradicts McCabe’s claim that there have been more hurricanes and similar weather events in recent years than there were in decades past...

he says, “The IPCC says current data sets indicate ‘no significant observable trends in global tropical cyclone frequency over the last century" he says to McCabe “Does that not dispute what you just told us?”

part of their report...

http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/faq-3-3.html

Changes in tropical storm and hurricane frequency and intensity are masked by large natural variability. The El Niño- Southern Oscillation greatly affects the location and activity of tropical storms around the world. Globally, estimates of the potential destructiveness of hurricanes show a substantial upward trend since the mid-1970s, with a trend towards longer storm duration and greater storm intensity, and the activity is strongly correlated with tropical sea surface temperature. These relationships have been reinforced by findings of a large increase in numbers and proportion of strong hurricanes globally since 1970 even as total numbers of cyclones and cyclone days decreased slightly in most basins. Specifically, the number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes increased by about 75% since 1970. The largest increases were in the North Pacific, Indian and Southwest Pacific Oceans. However, numbers of hurricanes in the North Atlantic have also been above normal in 9 of the last 11 years, culminating in the record-breaking 2005 season.

dotymed

(5,610 posts)
27. Katrina destroyed New Orleans.
Sat Apr 12, 2014, 10:17 AM
Apr 2014

I was among the first responders, it was devastation beyond imagining. Sadly, I fear that was just a prelude to what we have brought upon our civilization. "Our" earth has no options left. It must heal itself of the infestation that is destroying it. It has done this before. How many times, I do not believe that science really knows. I hate to think of the very real threat of extinction that my grandchildren face.
I believe that the earth has had more advanced cultures than we will ever know. Amazingly, we have had the technology to greatly lessen our impact on this planet for (at least) many decades.
I had a professor and friend who was/is a "trust fund baby." He is now in his eighties and his Father passed on a few years ago. Anyway, I was amazed (I was much younger then) when he told me that his very elite family regularly used technology that was not available to the average person, in fact we had no idea that most of these technologies were available.
The wealthy had microwave ovens in the 1950's. I never saw one until the late '70's. The same is true with remote controlled tee vee. We actually had to walk and manually switch channels. The whole 4-5 that were available to us.
IMO, sen. Jeff Sessions has proven to all that he is a mental midget who is actually stupid enough to believe his own propaganda.
America will never progress while we have "elected leaders(?)" of his caliber.
Again IMO, there must be large amounts of money spent to insure that people like this "lead" what was once a beacon of hope in our deteriorating world. Of course, along with that reasoning, there must be a plan (it is obvious) to loot and destroy, from within, our nation. The only thing "trickling down" is extreme ignorance and propaganda.

 

truebluegreen

(9,033 posts)
31. We need to challenge the framing that acceptance of scientific facts
Sat Apr 12, 2014, 08:27 PM
Apr 2014

is some kind of "belief." Every.Time. it comes up. It is not a question of faith.

NastyRiffraff

(12,448 posts)
40. Hear hear!
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 11:57 AM
Apr 2014

Absolutely this needs to be reframed. It's the FACT of climate change (evolution, a round earth orbiting the sun, etc. ) You can't use "theory" because these idiots don't understand what a scientific theory is.

 

Armadotrasgo

(28 posts)
32. Is he a climate change denier,
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 12:10 AM
Apr 2014

Or is he just a person who questions whether recent human activity is the primary cause? Sometimes I can't tell because sound bites are, well, sound bites.

 

Vashta Nerada

(3,922 posts)
34. I really hate how the MSM uses the phrase "believing in science".
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 12:29 AM
Apr 2014

No. Science is NOT a belief. Science is supported by observation and evidence.

Good god.



 

AverageJoe90

(10,745 posts)
35. Does it really matter, Sen. Sessions?
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 12:32 AM
Apr 2014

It may be true that we have no sure way to tell what role that AGW has played in the increase of hurricanes right now. But that's not really why Sessions is complaining, of course. He's just upset that she was appointed by a liberal African-American president who happens to disagree with him on environment & energy issues. That's why.

nirvana555

(448 posts)
44. Help me!!!!!! I have a very serious question. I truly don't understand why these
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 07:24 PM
Apr 2014

"so-called" Christians don't believe in climate change. Here's my question, why don't these people believe in climate change?

GoneFishin

(5,217 posts)
45. I am not sure if you are serious. But my opinion is that the actual fuel behind climate change
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 07:48 PM
Apr 2014

deniers is money being pumped into conservative think tanks by oil, coal, and gas companies. Because any serious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions would require tighter regulations on that industry, which would cost them a lot of money.

I think it manifests itself as conservatives who think Al Gore is a liar, that climate change educators are tree-hugging hippies, and/or believe too much science is anti-religion.

Also, some are just Fox News watching idiots. And yet others, like Sessions, are bought and paid for industry whores.

JoeyT

(6,785 posts)
47. He's actually not.
Mon Apr 14, 2014, 03:22 AM
Apr 2014

He's vile and corrupt, but he's not stupid. He's just one of the evil fucking old money hatemongers you hardly ever see anymore.

His name pretty much tells the whole story: Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III

Chemisse

(30,813 posts)
46. Sometimes I think people should be required to pass a basic literacy test to run for office.
Sun Apr 13, 2014, 08:11 PM
Apr 2014

And perhaps score above 70 on an IQ test.

I'd bet we could have been spared many of these morans, including Sarah Palin, with this kind of a requirement.

Response to spanone (Original post)

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