Rubio says humans aren't behind climate change
Washington (CNN) - Sen. Marco Rubio says he doesn't believe humans are causing climate change and doesn't think any action can reverse course.
This as a new White House report indicated that Rubio's home state of Florida is one of the most vulnerable to rising sea levels.
"I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it," the first term senator said Sunday on ABC "This Week," after being asked by ABC News' Jon Karl whether humans were contributing to the heating up of the planet.
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"I do not believe that the laws that they propose we pass will do anything about it, except it will destroy our economy," added Rubio, who's seriously considering a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Rubio says he's ready to be commander-in-chief
Rubio's latest comments are similar to what he said on CNN last week.
"I think severe weather has been a fact of life on earth since man started recording history. I understand that there's a vast consensus of scientists that are saying that human activity is what's contributing to changes in our climate. I think it's an enormous stretch to say that every weather incident that we read about or the majority of them are attributable to human activity," Rubio told CNN's Bill Weir Tuesday on "CNN Tonight."
Rubio's comments come as President Barack Obama's administration last week declared, unequivocally, that climate change is underway across the United States. The U.S. National climate Assessment Report, released last Tuesday, offered a dire assessment of the impact of climate change, and named Miami as the city most vulnerable to damage from rising sea levels. The report was criticized by many Republican lawmakers.
The U.S. isn't alone in raising serious concerns. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change came to the conclusion that humans are behind global warming.
In his CNN interview, Rubio knocked the administration's report and criticized the President's efforts on the issue of climate change. Obama has proposed new programs to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, which most scientists say are the major cause of global warming.
"The President is, he's not a meteorologist. Here's what the President needs to be focused on. He's proposing a certain set of policies that he would have to admit if questioned will do nothing. If in fact these scientists are right and it's greenhouse gas emissions that are changing our climate, none of the things he's proposing would do anything to change that whatsoever, but it would have a devastating impact on our economy.
The most recent national polling on climate chanted indicated that a majority of Americans said humans were causing global warming. According to a Gallup poll conducted in early March, 57% of the public said human activities were behind global warming, with four in ten saying natural changes were causing the earth to heat up.
Fifty-four percent of those questioned in the survey said the effects of global warming were already happening. But less than four in ten said that global warming would pose a threat to their way of life.
The poll indicated a major partisan divide, with a majority of Democrats saying they worried a great deal about global warming, but more than six in ten Republicans saying they worried only a little bit or not at all about climate change.
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Absolutely unelectable!
Is everyone in Congress this stupid?
"I understand that there's a vast consensus of scientists that are saying that human activity is what's contributing to changes in our climate."
So: a vast consensus of scientist would agree that lighting yourself on fire will actively cause changes in your body. But, hey, who cares what "science" says, right. I mean, whadda they know, amiright?
I believe Rubio like I believe Mitt Romney didn't cheat on his tax returns.
When Florida is no longer a state because its under water, we won't have to listen to him anymore....someone can ask him who he is appeasing with his words then. No voters left! Wish I was going to be around to watch the show!
It's amazing how someone who says what's a proven scientific fact years ago- has to cower when stating that truth. They have been predicting, 5 or 10 years is all we have left since the 80s and have nothing zero zilch to show for it. It has been getting resoundly colder in recent years. They will never admit, they were wrong- because they are too invested in this, and have fraud and racketeering cloud over they're head. I say let the facts speak fir itself, but the global warmers never will because they never can – because the facts are the biggest deniers. So, it's more smoke in mirrors, propaganda and intimidation when all else fails.
Republicans may be the economically overstimulated, but the liberals are the social terror alarmists who are willing to misuse science to meet political agendas. SCIENCE IS BIGGER THAN YOU! You don't even understand the harm you cause when you infuse intellectual dishonesty into a process that's aims at objectivity. Eventually, scientists with political agendas will twist science until the voice of reason in science is destroyed. Thanks for that. By the way, I'm a total conservationist. I believe in preserving our natural resources–but not at the expense of scientific credibility.
you can't fix STUPID
We need more people making sensible comments like this. He is exactly correct.
Your typical conservative has little interest in the issue unlike non-conservatives who tend to defer to mainstream scientific wisdom.
Conservatives defer to a tiny handful of renegade scientists who reject the overwhelming professional consensus.
Just visit any global warming forum that mentions Gore and the psychology at work here is pretty clear: Your average conservative may not know anything about climate science, but conservatives do know they hate Al Gore. So, hold up Gore as a hate figure and conservatives will let that dictate their thinking on the issue.
When Al Gore gives up his 28,000 square foot mansion, private jets, private yacht, and block-long limos idling outside of his speeches, I am going to start getting worried.
It is a measure of how deranged the GOP has gotten given that Richard Nixon in 1972 declared Earth Day, and was the President that created the Environmental Protection Agency.
Today's GOP has simply lost its mind.
The US DOD announces a new weapon available if hostile aliens try to take over the Earth. The DOD will allow Palin voters to "mind meld" with the aliens. The aliens' heads will immediately implode caused by the huge vacuum.
It's a completely ignorant, head in the sand statement to say that we humans have not effected the environment nor have a lasting impact. It's not a matter of 'if' we have, it is a matter of what the full ramifications of that impact are.
You're right, nothing is permanent. In cosmic terms, why worry about it, right? The Sun will burn out eventually. So, hell, let's just throw caution to the wind.
I was just taking issue with your 'puny' humans having no impact on the planet. It's so painfully obvious that we do have an impact, it's shocking that you'd convince yourself otherwise. Hell, you can't eat too much fish because of the Mercury content. At what point will Mother Nature 'reverse' that for us if we bury our heads in the sand as you seem to be telling us is the best course of action?
I can only hope that you don't work too hard on denying the obvious or that at least you'll be in the small minority. I'd prefer to not have to worry about things like, "Gee, my kids already had fish this week, is it safe to let them eat it again?"
Like I said, it's not a matter of 'if', it's a matter of what that impact means now and for the future.
But, then again, if I keep my head in the sand with you, maybe that 800 pound gorilla in the room will go away too.
Marco Rubio Doesn't know what climate is!
How can he possibly know whether something he doesn't even understand is caused by human action?
Weather is not climate. Anyone who confuses the 2 is not informed (eg. Marco Rubio)
PS
Is there anyone informed enough at CNN to understands this critical fact, How about educating the public instead of letting an ignorant politician explain to us what climate isn't.
"The President is, he's not a meteorologist."
But apparently Rubio is. Heck, he doesn't even need to listen to a majority of scientists. His "gut" tells him the truth.
"I believe that human activity is causing dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it," the first term senator Obama would have said – and all ignorant people elected him POTUS
This coutry is doomed.
If it's one thing that I've learned in life, after living in various parts of our country. Have a healthy fear of mother nature or your stupid.
So, is this guy is calling the majority of Americans, in this country stupid ? Typical GOP thinking. Everyone else is wrong except for them.
Rubio is an ignorant clown and God save us if he ever gets any further
9 Billion of anything would have an effect on their environment. Stupid to think nearly 9 billion humans are not doing something to the environment. Science is dead in this country and the GOP wonders why we score so low in science against other countries. Duh!
Fixed the quote:
I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it..... because if I did I could not win a Republican presidential primary which is controlled by those ignorant and fearful of science.
@Chuck – Republicans may be the economically overstimulated, but the liberals are the social terror alarmists who are willing to misuse science to meet political agendas. SCIENCE IS BIGGER THAN YOU! You don't even understand the harm you cause when you infuse intellectual dishonesty into a process that's aims at objectivity. Eventually, scientists with political agendas will twist science until the voice of reason in science is destroyed. Thanks for that. By the way, I'm a total conservationist. I believe in preserving our natural resources–but not at the expense of scientific credibility.
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Really Chuck? It's the SCIENTISTS that are saying this NOT liberals. Liberals are just agreeing with the SCIENTISTS.
FINALLY someone with the guts to speak the truth about this left wing fairy tale. Now lets just sit back and watch the libs implode with anger aaaaahahahahahaa
Rubio pulls a typical Birther fast one– "I think it's an enormous stretch to say that every weather incident that we read about or the majority of them are attributable to human activity," and no scientists are saying every weather incident is attributable to human activity. Conservatives are hypocrites liars first, elitist pampering sycophants second and apparently they are witless dupes as well. There is one and only one argument against trying to reduce CO2, and that is the higher cost of alternative energy causing an economic contraction, but the science is in, unfortunately humans are too greedy and self serving to care about anyone except themselves, and that includes not caring about their children either. Reducing CO2 pollution will take a global effort, but of course the greedy will expect everyone else to pay for it while their country ignores it and makes economic gains off of everyone else's responsibility. I give every candidate a chance and beyond just political opinions, I gage who I choose to vote on who is trustworthy and not a hypocrite. Rubio just lost my vote, because it appears that Rubio took to heart Jeb Bush's comment about the truth, that truth is an albatross around your neck, truth doesn't pay the bills, etc in other words, if lying helps pay the bills, then lie away. Why are there almost no conservatives in America who can admit the truth about climate change? Why do half of Republicans cling to the Birther lies which are as seditious as they are moronic? In a global economy, I am not sure how to deal with climate change and the economic argument makes a lot of sense to me, but I will be condemned to hell if I vote for a liar who can't admit Obama was born in Hawaii and that human caused climate change is real.