As usual, Morgan Liddick’s column about climate change was a typical expose of radical right-wing “yawping” (using Morgan’s own word) of cherry-picked facts while totally ignoring others. (“Climate change two-step,” published Sept. 3 in the Summit Daily News.)
The bottom line in the world of reality, which Liddick fails to address or acknowledge, is that 97% of the world’s climate scientists agree that humans are the cause of the rapid increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. This increase in CO2 has caused and is causing a rapid increase in global temperatures and is causing dramatic changes in climate worldwide. Period.
In the warped world of the radical right wing and Liddick, there is a plot afoot. The plot, as hypothesized by the radical right wing, is as follows: 97% of the world’s climate scientists have conspired to create an imaginary environmental crisis only to be exposed by a plucky band of billionaires, oil companies and congressmen. Of course, this hypothetical plot ignores the fact that all of these billionaires and oil companies stand to lose millions of dollars should regulations be implemented to reduce CO2 emissions. The Republican congressmen (who are bribed by the billionaires and oil companies to oppose climate change legislation) also stand to loose their future bribe money. Any person with common sense would realize that this plot makes no sense and that instead it is the billionaires and oil companies who are creating the fake science and propaganda behind the opposition to take action on climate change.
Liddick’s quoted numbers from the Energy Information Agency appear to be correct. However, he incorrectly states that the Paris Climate Accord does nothing to address two of the largest economies in which CO2 production is increasing. He implies that the two countries that he’s referring to are China and India. However, China, India and the United States (the top three CO2 producers in the world) all signed the original Paris climate agreement, that is until President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out and the Republicans in congress did nothing to oppose him.