The GOP-controlled U.S. Senate admitted on Wednesday night that climate change is not—as some Republicans have claimed in the past—”a hoax,” but stopped short of attributing its causes to human activity, as scientists have done for close to 30 years.
In fact, the Senate’s most ardent climate denier, James Inhofe (R-Okla.), explicitly stated during the course of debate: “Man can’t change climate.”
The Senate voted on three symbolic, non-binding measures, all attached to controversial Keystone XL legislation.
As the Wall Street Journal explains:
One amendment, drafted by Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, read simply: “To express the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax.”
“After 49 Senators voted against a mountain of climate change science today, we wouldn’t be shocked if the Senate decides to vote against gravity, amend the periodic table, or express its sense that two plus two might actually equal five.”
Jason Kowalski, 350.org
It passed 98-1, with Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, as the sole “no” vote.
The language of the measure was, according to Slate, “intended to take a swipe” at Inhofe, who is the new chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and a longtime climate change denier. His 2012 book is titled, The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.
But because the Whitehouse amendment did not explicitly say climate change was caused by humans, Inhofe had an excuse to vote for it.
“Climate is changing, and climate has always changed, and always will, there’s archeological evidence of that, there’s biblical evidence of that, there’s historic evidence of that, it will always change,” Inhofe said on the Senate floor. “The hoax is that there are some people that are so arrogant to think that they are so powerful that they can change climate. Man can’t change climate.”
Another amendment, introduced by North Dakota Republican and Keystone XL bill sponsor John Hoeven, attributed climate change to human activity, but said the pipeline would have no significant impacts. Fifteen Republicans voted in favor, but the measure still failed by one vote, 59-40.
The most strongly worded amendment came from Hawai’i Democrat Brian Schatz, stating that climate change is real and that human activity—such as burning coal and oil—significantly contributes to it.
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