ClimateEye: Week En Review
These weeks in climate change: January 15
Last weekend, speaking in a weekly radio podcast, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee claimed climate change activists were in part to blame for those New Orleans residents who did not evacuate before Hurricane Katrina, one of the most destructive storms to make landfall in the United States.
“As governor one of the worst things I had to deal with was natural disasters, not just preparing for the destruction from the violent weather but also convincing people to take the threat seriously and get out of the path of danger,” Huckabee said. “I understand the natural impulse to stay and defend your home, but you can’t fight a flood. The people of New Orleans had plenty of warnings to evacuate because Hurricane Katrina might land a direct hit, but many choose to stay anyway.”
“I can’t help thinking, one reason they ignored warnings of dangerous weather from real experts is that they’ve heard from so many self-proclaimed experts who were exaggerating to advance their own agendas,” Huckabee continued. “If they didn’t learn in kindergarten that it’s bad to cry wolf, you’d think at least they’d know that with great power comes great responsibility. That they could have learned from reading Spiderman comics.”
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told a crowd of potential voters in New Hampshire that he’d like to see the U.S. be a global leader in the production of renewable energy.
“I want us to lead the world in everything,” Rubio said. “Let’s be number one in wind. Let’s be number one in solar. Let’s be number one in biofuels, number one in renewables, number one in energy efficiency. Let’s lead in all of these things.”
Rubio said he supports an all-of-the-above energy portfolio. “Our job is to create an even playing field in our taxes and our regulations,” Rubio added. “The private sector will take care of the rest. I believe that if we do that, we are going to lead the world in all of these energy resources.
Climate crusader Kelsi Wolever spoke with GOP candidate Carly Fiorina in Des Moines at a welcome back party to celebrate the beginning of Iowa’s new legislative session.
Carly said her first priority is to rein in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which she said, “is doing more damage than good and is a burden on America’s growth.”
But then she gave an emphatic “absolutely, yes!” when asked if she believes that free enterprise can solve climate change. She also mentioned that she supports renewable energy programs and free market solutions, along with innovation, to tackle climate threats.