In The Washington Post, Julie Eilperin examines the differences between the views on climate change of John McCain and Sarah Palin. While McCain has spoken broadly of his belief in the contribution of human activities to climate change, Palin only acknowledges that temperatures are warming but refuses to state on the record that she believes humans have anything to do with the changes.
Although Palin established a sub-cabinet to deal with climate change issues a year ago, she has focused on how to adapt to global warming rather than how to combat it, and she has publicly questioned scientists’ near-consensus that human activity plays a role in the rising temperatures.
Perhaps of more concern to me is that she has not produced any reasoning–no alternate science, not even any alternate explanation NOT based on science–for her disbelief in the humuan impacts on the climate. This mirrors her rejection of the science on polar bear habitat:
Initially, Palin said her state’s fish and wildlife department had conducted a review showing that the bears were not facing extinction. But Steiner, the professor, obtained an e-mail exchange showing that state officials concurred with federal scientists’ predictions that all of Alaska’s polar bears would disappear by mid-century if trends in greenhouse gas emissions continued.
Scott Schliebe, a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist who oversaw the scientific analysis for the polar bear listing, said Palin and her deputies “had some strong views that were different from ours, and we thoroughly reviewed them. We didn’t find their views had merit from the mainstream consensus of scientific thinking, which was backed by data.”
One of the common criticisms of the Bush administration from scientists and those concerned about science (environmental and medical) is that the administration and its appointees reject the best available science on issues and instead make decisions based on personal agendas. By choosing Palin as his running mate, McCain has demonstrated that he is willing to align himself with someone who does more of the same. I had been heartened, orginally, by McCain’s positions on many environmental issues. Palin is the nail in the coffin on my belief that McCain would represent any change from the current administration on important issues like energy and respect for science in shaping policy.
