Friday, January 6, 2012

In NH, Rick Santorum Talks Climate change - Video and Transcript

Rick Santorum spoke at length about his views on climate change while responding to a voter's question at a January 4, 2012 town hall meeting in Belmont, NH.

His comments were caught on video by C-Span:


Transcript of Rick Santorum's climate change talk in Belmont, NH: 
Voter: I was wondering how you’ve integrated your financial policies with the findings of current climate change science.
Rick Santorum: The question is on how do I get my policies with climate change science.
I get asked this question a lot, and you look at the data and you can see some change in the climate.
But then again, pick a point in history where you haven’t seen a change in the climate.
The climate does change.
The question is, what is causing the climate to change.
And I think most scientists, in fact, I assume all scientists would agree there are a variety of factors that cause the climate change.
I don’t think any scientist in the world would suggest there isn’t a variety of factors, and I think the vast majority of scientists would say there’s probably a hundred factors that cause the climate to change.
And so why have we decided that this one particular factor, carbon dioxide, is in fact that tip of the tail that wags the entire dog. 
Why from a scientific point of view do we make the assertion that this is in fact what is the case when there is a whole lot of other factors out there that could be affecting it?
So, that’s the question.
Some people have very strong feelings that it is that. 
There are a lot of other people who don’t.
Here’s the question. 
Let’s even assume, for purposes of argument, not that I agree with it, but for purposes of argument, that they are right.
Then what would be a rational response?
Well, if you have a problem and you want to craft something, what should that thing that you’re crafting do?
Solve the problem.
Do any of the proposed solutions put forward by Al Gore and his friends do anything to solve the problem?
Even the scientists who support the theory will admit to you that it doesn’t do anything to solve the problem. 
So query, why support the solution, other than you may have some other agenda that may be in place here. 
Right? 
And let’s go back to what that agenda is. 
There’s a common theme that you should be hearing here.
They don’t trust you to allocate resources in a way that they believe is best, and so they want to have a system that forces you to do what they think you should do in running your business and your lives. 
Rick Santorum may want to pay a visit to the EPA website, where he will learn that scientists and policy makers have identified a number major greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere by human activities, including methane, nitrous oxide, and flourinated gases.

Update: 

New Hampshire Primary 2012: Green's coverage of Rick Santorum's latest comments on climate change is making global news:

The Guardian - Elections 2012 Live With Richard Adams

Mother Jones - Santorum: Climate Change is a Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy

DeSmogBlog - Santorum Misrepresents Science Again

Treehugger - Rick Santorum is Beyond Confused About Climate Change


13 comments:

  1. Scientists don't have feelings. They have data.

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  2. I think you are thinking about Mr. Spock :) Scientists are actually real people.

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  3. Of course scientists have feelings.

    But when working, good scientists draw conclusions based on the evidence. When they're done, their findings are double- and triple-checked by "peer review" (other scientists) and national assessments (National Academy of Sciences).

    On climate, every National Academy in the world has confirmed that climate change is occurring, largely due to human activity, and will have dire consequences if we continue this way.

    It's physics and chemistry.

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  4. A bunch of so called scientist get together form a concensis and call it fact
    and all green heads march i lock step to the tune

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    1. Yea, what do scientists know. Exactly why I say we should do away with education completely. Those nerds just think they know what they are talking about. All that studying nonsense. Go SANTORUM! Say no to education and scientists!

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  5. What kind of mumbo jumbo talk is that? Didn't even make sense?

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  6. Santorum and the others do not want to admit the truth that they must know in their heart of hearts: we have been affecting the planet for some time now (through emitting both cooling sulfate aerosols and warming greenhouse gases) -- with the warming winning. 2000s hotter than 1990s; 1990 hotter than 1980s; 1980s hotter than 1970s; 1970s hotter than 1960s...

    Santorum et al. just cannot admit they know this because it has been made politically uncomfortable for them -- they have to toe the party line. Of course, the party will regret taking this line.

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  7. Turns out that yesterday (Jan 12, 2012) a leading climate scientist (and anthropogenic change advocate) on NPR was saying that we need to leave CO2 alone for now and concentrate on the "stronger" and more elemental climate change agents of soot and other particulates -- and that all the CO2 reduction in the world would not reduce climate change for decades. Santorum may be a doofus, but he was right.

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  8. Republicans, dumbing down Americans again.

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  9. Hey; seeing as these politicians are so confused by climate change and seeing as the electorate seem to be similarly challenged, why don't we listen to the scientists at NASA? After all aren't they paid to get their heads round this subject and advise the politicians? If we can't trust them to tell us the facts, who can we trust? Certainly not Mr Santorum. http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

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  10. He has no idea what he's talking about...I feel more stupid.

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  11. Santorum is a Pittsburgh guy. So I have to go with him. I also like the way he and Nute argue. Rick goes to more town meetings than any other rep.

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  12. Rick Santorum talk about climate change is very informative. Pleased to find out video and transcription version of that conversation. To study properly such thing will be handy for me. Thanks.
    quotes on change

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