Feingold's opponent says global warming is 'unproven'

[undeterred]

U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson said Thursday that global warming was an "unproven" science that shouldn't be used to dictate U.S. policies. The Republican business owner said domestic efforts to reduce global warming would hurt American businesses and send jobs to countries that have fewer restrictions. Johnson said it would be irresponsible to build U.S. policy on the basis of unsubstantiated theories.

"The point is, because we're not certain, because it's not proven, the last thing we should do is penalize our economy," he told The Associated Press during an interview. "I'm not even sure if, if it were a fact, whether we could do anything about it anyway," he added later.

Johnson will face Democratic incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold in the November elections. A recent poll showed Johnson with a slight lead in the race. Johnson has in the past acknowledged global temperature swings. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in August that the changes could be due to sunspot activity or natural climatic variation over time, factors that many climate scientists say are insignificant compared to human-generated greenhouse gases. But he took a harder stance Thursday, saying there was insufficient evidence to say whether global temperatures were rising. "The science of global warming is unproven," he said. "It just is."

NASA has said the globe's average temperature has increased as much as 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states on its website that there's "clear evidence that the Earth's climate is warming."

http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/wisconsin/article_3f4ff164-6813-5d70-8209-c71fbc2c0495.html



:shrug:

Its hard to believe there are still people who doubt that the earth is undergoing change that is due to human behavior, but apparently conservatives are getting dumber. I found a Gallup poll which shows that conservatives in particular are less likely to believe that change is already happening than they were 2 years ago. I get that the economy is a more important issue, but that doesn't change scientific fact.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/126563/Conservatives-Doubts-Global-Warming-Grow.aspx

[marmar]

1. And this troglodyte is leading in the polls?

:wtf:

[undeterred]

3. Apparently so.

There are some people who consider disbelief in science a virtue.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. This troglodyte is pouring millions into the campaign.

He's wealthy himself, and has huge corpo funding behind him. I'm getting at least 1 robocall every night from "Americans for Prosperity" sliming Feingold. The commercial radio stations I occasionally listen to are filled with anti-Russ stuff. Since I don't watch TV, I can only guess what's happening there.

[undeterred]

5. Loads of commercials from Johnson with almost no content.

He is extremely vague about his positions.

[hendo]

10. Well, they do have content

but it is largely subjective and anti-feingold.

[undeterred]

13. He's got an anti-health care anti-Feingold radio ad

which is 100% misleading. But he's got the money to blanket the state with his lies.

[hendo]

15. All that it takes to win election these days is money.

the more he throws at it, the higher his numbers will be.

Sad, isn't it.

[wtmusic]

2. The stats are barely better for liberals. nt

[wtmusic]

6. Johnson has not an iota of experience in science outside of high school

yet feels qualified to describe anthropogenic theories of global warming as "lunacy". :crazy:

This will backfire on him, as did his stand on oil drilling in the Great Lakes.

[BzaDem]

7. Actually, ThinkProgress did a survey, and found that EVERY non-incumbant Republican Senate candidate

either believes global warming to be "unproven," "not man-made," or a complete flat out "hoax."

So this is not unique to Johnson.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Well, I guess it's not surprising.

Most of them probly also think the earth is 6k years old too.

[UTUSN]

9. & yet some ignorant Ignorant might win n/t

[Terra Alta]

11. This idiot fell out of the stupid tree

and hit every branch on the way down. How the hell is he ahead in the polls? I bet he thinks evolution is "unproven", too.

[undeterred]

12. Think of the Feingold-Johnson race as an IQ test for the people of Wisconsin.

If the majority are too stupid to vote for Feingold, I guess we don't deserve him.

[rurallib]

14. Western Wisconsin is floating downriver at a time when it is normally dry

If I didn't know better I'd swear something has changed.

[undeterred]

16. They probably think Obama did it.

:shrug:

[rurallib]

17. some muslin,kenyan, commonist, nazi spell?

[undeterred]

18. Precisely.

And he's gonna take our guns, too.

[Ellipsis]

19. Indeed... 2010 Summer Rain for Wisconsin Breaks a Record

Wisconsin State Climatology Office - Edward Hopkins & John Young, Director, 3 September 2010

Wisconsin has established a new record in 2010 for the average statewide summer rainfall:18.65 inches. This top rank is based upon summer (June-August) data for the past 116 years. The old average statewide summer rainfall amount was 16.24 inches set back in 1980. The complete listing can be found below the Wisconsin base map.

Within the state, the three central climate zones placed first in rainfall as well, along with the northeast. The three southern zones and north-central climate zones had rains ranking second wettest. The northwestern zone ended its persistent drought with a 4th wettest total. The all-time greatest summer records at individual locations were broken at the National Weather Service office near Sullivan, and three other southern sites.

The extensive, prolonged rainy summer was interrupted by a long pause during August in the eastern third of the state. Despite that interruption, statewide 2010 summer precipitation still averaged at least 50% above normal for most counties.

Summer temperatures averaged a bit above normal, particularly at night, due to abnormally high humidity levels. The combination of these conditions produced energy for frequent heavy rains, strong storms, and an unusually large count of 40 tornadoes, with only four of them reaching the damaging EF2 level. This large number is nearly twice the modern normal number, and ranks 2010 as the third most active summer in recent decades.


Ans this doesn't include September...

[undeterred]

20. And the mosquitoes broke a record this year too

thanks to all the rain.