Hey, if youre going to be ignorant, I say, be ignorant and be proud. And if the facts or reality look like theyre getting in your way, just pay no attention. In case you hadnt picked it up already, Im thinking about the House of Representatives which proudly passed an amendment to the Pentagon budget the other day that, according to the Climate Progress website, seeks to prevent the Department of Defense from using funding to address the national security impacts of climate change. Atta way to go, guys! Lets replace the old U.S.A! U.S.A! cheer with something more up to date like: U.S.I! U.S.I! I as in ignorance, of course! Tom Sea level rise impacting naval bases. Climate change altering natural disaster response. Drought influenced by climate change in the Middle East and Africa leading to conflicts over food and water — as in, for instance, Syria. The military understands the realities of climate change and the negative impacts of heavy dependence on fossil fuels. The U.S. House does not. With a mostly party-line vote on Thursday, the House of Representatives passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) that seeks to prevent the Department of Defense from using funding to address the national security impacts of climate change. You can’t change facts by ignoring them, said Mike Breen, Executive Director of the Truman National Security Project, and leader of the clean energy campaign, Operation Free. This is like trying to lose 20 pounds by smashing your bathroom scale. The full text of McKinley’s amendment reads: None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to implement the U.S. Global Change Research Program National Climate Assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report, the United Nation’s Agenda 21 sustainable development plan, or the May 2013 Technical Update of the Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Executive Order. In other words, the House just tried to write climate denial into the Defense Department’s budget. thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/22/3440827/mckinley-climate-pentagon-climate-change/
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 19:00:02 +0000
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