Rick Santorum: Climate change is ‘junk science'

[The Northerner]

Rick Santorum is no Mitt Romney when it comes to global warming science.

Appearing on Wednesday on Rush Limbaugh's radio show, the former Pennsylvania GOP senator jumped at the chance to distinguish himself from his Massachusetts rival by displaying his climate skeptic credentials.

"I believe the earth gets warmer and I also believe the earth gets cooler," Santorum said. "And I think history points out that it does that and that the idea that man, through the production of CO2 — which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas — is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd when you consider all the other factors, El Niño, La Niña, sunspots, moisture in the air. There's a variety of factors that contribute to the Earth warming and cooling."

Santorum's remarks contrast with those of Romney, who on Friday told a town hall crowd in Manchester, N.H., that "I believe the world is getting warmer, and I believe that humans have contributed to that."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56599.html#ixzz1OnZJRpn2

[Scuba]

1. I believe the earth gets warmer and I also believe the earth gets cooler," Santorum said...

..."I've seen this happen, year after year, except the year we went to Arizona. It never got cooler that year. Weird, huh?"

[w8liftinglady]

2. he has joined representative Barton

Barton: Global Warming Bill Will Send U.S. Back to 1875
WASHINGTON – Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton, R-Texas, today made the following statement on the House floor in opposition to the Waxman-Markey global warming bill. The bill passed the House by a razor-thin margin, 219-212.

Mr. BARTON of Texas. “Madam Speaker, before I begin I want to compliment you on your speakership of this debate. As always, you’ve been gracious and temperate and fair, and we wish you the very best in your new position at the Department of State.

“As the country western song goes, Madam Speaker, I’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there. So I’m trying to get through in the next 5 minutes the major issues on the debate before us.

“I want to first start with the so-called compromise the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee have worked out. As we have seen during the debate by the number of colloquies, the compromise is a work in process. I’ve seen it amended and referred and rebutted several times on the majority side.

“But if you will look to my far left on this chart, in the base text of the bill, there is a provision that gives the Administrator of the EPA the right at any time, at any time, to designate any man-made gas as a greenhouse gas subject to the regulations of this bill. As far as I can tell, that paragraph trumps everything that Chairman Peterson has attempted to negotiate with Chairman Waxman.

“The second thing that I want to point out is the basic math of their allowance system simply doesn’t work. The transportation sector today is responsible for 35 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, 35 percent. If you count the good work that Mr. Dingell did and the good work that Mr. Green did on the majority side in getting allowances for the transportation sector, they get a grand total of 4 percent, 4 percent. Well 4 from 35 is 31 percent. When you get down to 2050, you have to reduce CO2 emissions by 83 percent, which only leaves 17 percent of total emissions from the baseline year. You’ve got to cut the transportation sector in half. And if you assume that we’re not going to develop some sort of a giant rubberband for general aviation, you can’t put an electric battery or a nuclear reactor in an airplane. General aviation is going to have to use fossil fuel. You simply can’t get to that 83 percent reduction from the 2005 baseline with the math in their bill. It is a physical impossibility.

[HopeHoops]

3. Yeah. REAL science shows Jesus rode dinosaurs and was crucified for performing abortions.

[Bunny]

4. It's actually refreshing to hear Santorum talk about something that is not

related to genitals.

[John1956PA]

5. "The sun comes up, the sun goes down. The tide comes in, the tide goes out."

Santorum and Bill O'Reilly consult the same play book.

[City Lights]

6. City Lights: rick santorum is junk human. nt

[geardaddy]

8. Junk human

you nailed it.

[spanone]

7. hey rick, tell that to the dead tornado/tsunami victims

you dumbfuck

[arbusto_baboso]

13. Now please. He is not a dumbfuck.

He is a dumb fuckstick. Please be more precise.

[spanone]

17. the picking of the nits.....i will be more specific in future posts....

he is one who chooses what science he cares to believe in...

i'll bet that stem cell science was bullshit to him too, eh ricky boy?

[AtomicKitten]

9. Santorum is the junk candidate.

[Iggo]

10. He's finally listening to his advisers...

..."Please, please, PLEASE talk about something other than anal sex. PLEASE!"

[RadiationTherapy]

11. As soon as someone says "I believe" something that disagrees with science.

I stop listening. You are welcome to believe the research is wrong, but one doesn't get to 'believe' or 'not believe' evidence-based research.

Unless we want to talk about the notion that every single event not witnessed or analyzed directly by you is doubtful. This is why we can't have a good society. We don't trust our specially educated/trained people. Teachers, scientists, economists - every one is doubtful when politics is the biggest business in the nation. We used to 'believe' our scientists were publishing well-researched theories - believed they were the best and brightest capable of that work, anyway. Now, everyone is 'second-guess-able', regardless of training. And since politics if the biggest business in the nation, everyone has an agenda. So we don't trust each other any more. The end.

[Blasphemer]

12. Welcome to the 1st century, Ricky.... nt

[brooklynite]

14. Is this going to be the "Raise Your Hand" question at the next debate?

Could be sorta lonely on stage for mittens.

[ladjf]

15. Santorum is a "junk candidate". nt

[dynasaw]

16. Rick Santorum a Scientist????

Gimme a break!

[Iggo]

20. I googled Santorum...

...and "Scientist" was not the first thing that came up.

[Octafish]

18. He IS stupid.

Seriously stupid.

And Romney's a dumbass, too.

[nichomachus]

19. I want to go to the Christian Institute of Technology

You only have to read one book.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Avant Guardian]

22. Junk opinion

[mysuzuki2]

23. and what school awarded Santorum a degree in

climatology? Scientists are not always right but it seems obvious to me that someone who has studies a subject is far more likely to be right than someone who has not.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. Yes, there are many factors, from Jesus to frothy, fecal-laced anal lube.

Personally, I admire Santorum's stick-to-it-iveness.

[Rex]

25. We cannot allow a fucking stupid idiot to be in charge AGAIN.

Last time (GWB) we nearly lost the entire nation to criminal activity! Rick would be WORSE then GWB imo.

[Initech]

26. And man on dog sex isn't???

[saras]

27. big mouth strikes again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Sm6LMpLmY

[deacon]

28. The new lowest rating on the IQ Scale shall now be known as "Santorum." n/t

[Frank Cannon]

29. I cannot wait for the next debate between this stupid SOB...

and all the rest of the Republican imbeciles.

I only hope that they can get Will Ferrell to host it.