Wow. Via the indispensable Aunt Phyllis, this is old school: On Tuesday the Georgia legislature held a hearing called "Climate change: fact or fiction?" Listen to these blasts from the past:
"In the media, we hear the gloom and doom side," said Rep. Jeff Lewis (R-White), chairman of the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee that held the hearing. "There is alternative information out there."
Indeed there is! Puzzlingly, the "alternative information" continues to be offered exclusively by the same four or five people that have been offering it for years now. But no mind!
"What this has done is it has affirmed my assumption coming in here that there are too many opinions on this subject" to draw a conclusion, said Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn), a member of the House committee.
There you have it. As long as alternative information is available, one cannot draw any conclusions. I wonder if the Republicans in the Georgia legislature apply that same epistemological standard to all their decision making. Seems like it would kind of slow things down.
One thing's for sure, though: whether climate change is fact or fiction, ethanol's the solution! That's something about which Georgia legislators have no difficulty drawing conclusions.
Jeb Bush still skeptical about climate change
The new Senate global warming deniers
Do as Heartland says, not as it does
Comments
View as Flat
Biodiversivist Posted 4:48 pm
23 Aug 2007
Much of the South remains a seat of ignorance
and I apologize to all of you I just offended who live there but don't fit the stereotype.
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
Permalink
Sean Casten Posted 11:45 pm
23 Aug 2007
Biod response
Biod - I don't disagree with you in terms of outcome, but I think the cause is more political than ignorant. Several years ago, I was on a panel with a former FERC Commissioner who shall remain nameless - for reasons that are about to become evident - and I asked him offline afterwards why it was that we aren't able to form a sensible energy policy at the national level. A part of his response, very loosely paraphrased was "because of the Civil War". In essence, the observation was that all politicians have selfish ends that need to be balanced. But in the south, those ends can always get political traction if the politician dresses them up in the guise of states rights issues, and brings up memories of Antietam. As a result, the region has a real dearth of leadership on precisely those issues that require national - or, indeed, global - level responses. And from his perspective, whenever one tried to talk about changes to our national energy policy, one would immediately confront massive political resistance from the southern states, in language that could pull in other states as well in spite of the negative outcomes. (See David's recent post for an example of Romney playing the same card in Wyoming.)
It's an interesting observation, and probably goes beyond energy issues. But it doesn't come from an ignorant population so much as it does from a political environment that is conducive to ignorant politicians of a particularly provincial worldview.
Permalink
pbearden47 Posted 12:13 am
24 Aug 2007
No Offense Taken
I grew up in Georgia, left at 24, lived in France and Canada (socialized medicine seemed OK to me)and moved to New Jersey. After 17 years in the Northeast, I moved back to Georgia (long story).
What I found in life is there is ignorance, shallowness and redneckness everywhere in some form or other. The south is very blatant and approving of this attitude, and it has held the whole region back since the nation began. Being educated is viewed as being "too big for your britches."
It's not easy for people like me, but there's lots of good in the south and there's lots of good people.
I have to say that after decades of living in various places and then coming back to my hometown, I find the air filthy, the night sky blank, the beautiful country taken over by developers and sprawl. I can't understand why people can't look out the window or try to breathe the air in Atlanta and then say "D'oh!" We have a problem.
Aunt Phyllis
Permalink
WWAGD?! Posted 2:20 am
24 Aug 2007
Georgia Off The Mind
That God there are states like Georgia which has "seceded" from the present day Uni-Mind of Al Gore and brainwashed AGWers.
That includes my ATL Bros.
Wha' you say?
John Bailo
Sutext:
Permalink
JMG Posted 4:30 am
24 Aug 2007
Drew Pearson
Muckraker Drew Pearson wrote two terrific novels about Lyndon Johnson (disguised under a character, I think he was named Hannaford or something) called "The Senator" and "The President."
The thing that stayed with me, having spent some of my young years living in Dallas, Texas, was how Pearson nailed the politics so well. He described the politics and tactics employed by the Segs throughout the South this way:
The observation from Sean's FERC buddy rings absolutely true; not for nothing did Faulkner of Ole' Miss say "The past isn't dead--hell, it isn't even the past."
Save the world: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5% annually.
Permalink