We have previously discussed the continued statements of President Donald Trump questioning the overwhelming science behind climate change. Yesterday, President Trump was again mocking the notion of climate change by pointing at the polar air hitting the Midwest. It is part of a long history of Trump transposing weather with climate change — a point repeatedly made by experts but ignored in these tweets. Notably, recent polls show less division among the public, including Republicans, who overwhelmingly agree that we are experiencing climate change.
As many in the Midwest (including my family) shelter against the mass of polar air President Trump took another jab at climate change:
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!156K9:28 PM – Jan 28, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy132K people are talking about this
As this map from University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute illustrates we are indeed seeing rising temperatures around the world with devastating consequences:
University of Maine Climate Change Institute
2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record, and as we previously discussed Arctic sea ice is disappearing at an alarming rate.
The science is not lost on most citizens. A recent poll showed that nearly two-thirds of Republicans and a majority of all Americans now accept climate change. Some 64 percent of Republican now agree — up from 49 percent in 2015. Moreover half of Americans surveyed — 54 percent — said climate change is “very serious. ” Republicans differ here in that only 25 percent view climate change as “very serious.” Only 16 percent believed that climate change was not occurring.
At the same time, Trump is departing from a worldwide move away from fossil fuels. With various countries setting ambitious goals for purely renewable energy, the United States is making massive investment in coal and oil. It is not just bad for the environment but bad for our economy which is allowing other developed nations to take greater shares of the green energy market. Even if you reject the virtually universal view of scientists on climate change, Western countries are investing heavily in clean energy which will improve their environment, reduce pollution-related death rates and illnesses, and expand their modern workforce. I fail to see the logic in our current policies.