Since he was elected, U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise (R-Metairie) has been making headlines on Capitol Hill. On many issues such as healthcare reform, the conservative congressman has been at the forefront of the fight against the liberal agenda of President Obama.
Despite his high profile back home, many people from around the country were unaware of Scalise until he tangled with Al Gore on the issue of global warming in April. At the congressional hearing, Scalise was the only committee member to aggressively question Gore about his harebrained theories on global warming. Scalise examined the lack of true science behind Gore’s theories. While Gore stressed it was “settled,” Scalise pointed out that thousands of scientists disagree with the belief that humans are causing the globe to warm. By exposing Gore, Scalise provided a true service to the entire country.
Today, Scalise is again leading the fight on this issue by disputing the radical agenda of the Copenhagen climate change meeting. In December, delegates from around the world descended on Copenhagen to find agreement on climate change. The agenda of the global warming purists is at odds with reality and the economic interests of billions of people. To the global warming believers “climate change” is the worst problem we face as a planet and it is essential that nations commit to reduce their carbon emissions. In reality, the conference attendees are not acting like scientists, but, instead, activists who are pushing an agenda.
There is extreme pressure for action as the global warming issue has become a cause celeb for Hollywood, the news media and the leftist governments of Europe. Despite the research of respected scientists who disagree with the conclusions of Copenhagen, activities want developed nations like the United States to endure trillions of dollars in costs to reduce carbon emissions and become more eco-friendly.
While delegates were meeting in Copenhagen, Scalise was on Capitol Hill highlighting the fact that the global warming issue is far from settled and that there are plenty of reputable scientists who disagree with Al Gore. For his efforts, Gore has received the Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar, but he has also made millions of dollars. He has become a very rich man promoting a worldwide hysteria. In fact, in Copenhagen, he was hoping to score some quick bucks by charging delegates $1,200.00 each for the “honor” of shaking his hand. This scheme was eventually discarded, but it shows that Gore’s motive in this whole issue is not as pure as the snow that fell during the Copenhagen conference.
Before any utility bills or taxes are raised, there must be a rigorous debate about the issue throughout the world, but that is exactly what the scientists from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University in Great Britain were trying to prevent. A hacker exposed thousands of e-mails that shocked the scientific world. The scandal has been named “climate gate” as the e-mails showed scientists trying to prevent the publication of papers from global warming skeptics. They were using improper and scandalous means to control the type of information released to the public. There needs to be a full scale investigation into how this scientific deception has been allowed to persist for so many years.
The script from Al Gore and others is to present the issue as “settled” so “action” can be taken in the form of a Copenhagen agreement, a cap and trade bill and a demand for the use of alternative sources of energy. Curbing greenhouse gas emissions will hurt this country “by running millions of jobs out of this country and into places where environmental regulations are more lax, resulting in more pollution," said Scalise.
This whole effort displays the arrogance of human beings who believe we can control the weather of this huge and complex planet. We have a hard enough time predicting tomorrow’s weather. Meteorologists have failed in attempts to accurately predict the strength of hurricane seasons only a few months in advance. Therefore, it is illogical to believe that we can predict the climate in the distant future or know what the earth’s climate was millions of years ago.
By sounding the alarm on these issues, Scalise is not only protecting the interests of the oil and gas industry in his home state, he is also promoting the concept of intellectual honesty. In the process, he is doing an outstanding job of representing his state and concerned citizens from across the country.
More and more Americans are now taking a very skeptical view of global warming. Few want to see higher taxes and utility bills. The push toward “green” jobs and “green” justice must be tempered with a heavy dose of reality. Voters should thank Congressman Scalise for his leadership and for asking the right questions at the right time. Let’s hope he succeeds in stopping this environmental movement from destroying our nation’s economy.