White House reverses stance on existence of global warming

February 6, 2007 11:26 AM

Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman has endorsed the recent IPCC report, reversing the White House stance on the existence of global warming. Bodman claims that the Bush administration has always accepted scientific studies pointing to man-made climate change, even as Henry Waxman, House oversight committee chair, has been holding hearings on the White House's misleading the public on global warming for the last six years; hearing documents. Bodman also rejects caps on CO2 emissions, claiming that the US is "a small contributor when you look at the rest of the world," when in fact it's the largest contributor worldwide (and has an even greater share of cumulative CO2 emissions). Previously: IPCC, Waxman.
posted by russilwvong (29 comments total)

It's surprisingly hard to say that Bodman is lying without sounding accusatory, and therefore editorializing.
posted by russilwvong at 11:28 AM on February 6, 2007

You don't have to say it
posted by poppo at 11:36 AM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Speaking as somone who works for the aforementioned Ministry of Truth, WAR IS PEACE - FREEDOM IS SLAVERY - IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. That is all.
posted by Pressed Rat at 11:37 AM on February 6, 2007

Bodman gets the boot for failing to stay on-message in 3... 2... 1...
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:39 AM on February 6, 2007

When are we going to see a carbon caps and taxes then? The rest of the world (Australia, Ireland, Canada to start with) is talking about it why not us?
posted by greenmolotov at 11:48 AM on February 6, 2007

We won't. At least, not until it becomes irrelevant.
posted by IronLizard at 11:49 AM on February 6, 2007

Bodman gets the boot for failing to stay on-message in 3... 2... 1...

Oh no he won't.

This is the Bush Administrations Old "New" Strategy.

Deny.
Deny.
Deny.
Maybe but So What.
Deny AGAIN to Fatigue.
Obsequious Partial Semi-Admission.
Obfuscate.
THEN Simultaneously Deny and Admit.

The sad fact is that in the age of short attention spans, 24 hr news cycles, and the Liberal tendency to "back pat" this shit WORKS.
posted by tkchrist at 11:58 AM on February 6, 2007

It was -40 yesterday in Minnesota.

Bring on the global warming.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:06 PM on February 6, 2007

Yeah, what tkchrist said. It's a fallback position. The sequence goes like this:

1. Global warming isn't happening. It's just alarmist doom-monger hippies and scientists who hate capitalism.
2. It's happening, but it's natural, not caused by human activity (repeat re hippies and scientists).
3. It's caused by human activity, but we can't do anything about it.
4. Even if we could do something about it, it'd be too expensive.
5. We could spend all that money on poor people instead. Why do hippies and scientists hate poor people?
6. Besides, global warming is probably a good thing. Maybe we can grow more food for poor people (repeat re hippies, scientists, poor people).

What it boils down to is this: "It's not my responsibility."
posted by russilwvong at 12:09 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

This white house doesn't even accept the theory of evolution, so expecting anything resembling a rational, responsible policy on any science issue for the next 2 years would be delusional.
posted by 2sheets at 12:10 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

2 more years. Nah.

The negative repercussions of this administration are going to last for fifty more years. And the less obvious effects will endure for a couple of hundred. Damn it this is depressing.

What is even more depressing is that huge swaths of the right are celebrating breaking our Republic. They are proud of the stain of ignorance they are leaving behind.

Most of all they view this beautiful, giving, garden we had as something to rape and spoil and to the most vicious, most selfish, go the spoils. And fuck everybody else.

The worst humanity has to offer. And they are proud of it.
posted by tkchrist at 12:21 PM on February 6, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I blame Ted Nugent for this, and for all other things.
posted by Mister_A at 12:28 PM on February 6, 2007

Now that's depressing...
posted by DesbaratsDays at 12:28 PM on February 6, 2007

Why must every discussion of global warming include something like this:

It was -40 yesterday in Minnesota.

Bring on the global warming.

I was going to say ignorant statement, but, you know, we're supposed to be nice here.
posted by noble_rot at 12:37 PM on February 6, 2007

'Cause life would be so much better if it were -36 in Minnesota and Manhattan were under water.
posted by noble_rot at 12:39 PM on February 6, 2007

Is George Bush forcing you people to eat meat? Cattle and livestock contribute at least as much to global warming as automobiles. And whereas if you ban autombiles in America, they'll still multiply throughout India and China, meat-eating will probably remain stable in both of those countries, no matter what happens in America. So quit eating meat, and quit expecting the government to solve every little problem.
posted by Faze at 12:54 PM on February 6, 2007

every little problem.

Perhaps you haven't been paying attention.
posted by odinsdream at 12:59 PM on February 6, 2007

[Joke about GW Bush and meat]
posted by Mister_A at 1:00 PM on February 6, 2007

[And forced ingestion of]
posted by xod at 1:19 PM on February 6, 2007

[with Ted Haggard aside]
posted by xod at 1:20 PM on February 6, 2007

[or astride]
posted by xod at 1:20 PM on February 6, 2007

sorry.
posted by xod at 1:20 PM on February 6, 2007

Speaking of Waxman: Top Iraq Reconstruction Official Flown To Baghdad To Avoid Oversight Hearing
posted by homunculus at 1:29 PM on February 6, 2007

quit expecting the government to solve every little problem.


I think I'm experiencing one of those John Steward moments-of-zen.
posted by carmen at 1:30 PM on February 6, 2007

quit expecting the government to solve every little problem.

Don't worry, faze. Katrina cured us of that.
posted by adamrice at 4:21 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

It was -40 yesterday in Minnesota.

Bring on the global warming.

I hope you don't mind your state filling up with displaced Floridians.
posted by delmoi at 4:49 PM on February 6, 2007

It's surprisingly hard to say that Bodman is lying without sounding accusatory, and therefore editorializing.

I was about to come in here and bitch about it, but something about it was nagging me. This is exactly it.

You know something's really, really wrong when just being rational makes you sound like a leftist reactionary. Man, am I sick of it.
posted by spiderwire at 5:04 PM on February 6, 2007

I hope you don't mind your state filling up with displaced Floridians.

On the contrary, when the apocalypse comes we'll need new food sources.

And firewood.
posted by spiderwire at 5:25 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Bodman also rejects caps on CO2 emissions, claiming that the US is "a small contributor when you look at the rest of the world," when in fact it's the largest contributor worldwide...

Asshole.

Please, if any of you happen to be within slapping distance, bitchslap this asshole for me. Thx.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:10 PM on February 7, 2007