One of the things that baffles me about the GOP insistence pretending that global warming isn’t a thing and fighting efforts to fix it is that, you know, they can’t go live on some globe that isn’t warming. So when I read things like “Environmentally-concious organizations are upset that the deal would preclude Governor Jay Inslee from using executive authority to set new pollution standards, and have been calling for a no vote” I have to wonder how much of a deal Republicans think they’re getting.
I mean, if you represent farmers in Eastern Washington, why would you want to go back to your constituents and say something like “congrats, it’s going to be hotter and drier, but, also the state will have less and less water to help irrigate, and it’ll keep getting worse over time.” Or if you represent somewhere that’s on fire right now, being able to say “man in 50 to 100 years, we’ll look back and wish it was this wet and cool.”
Maybe 50-100 years is part of the key. Obviously there are differences between long term and short term incentives for these sorts of issues. But when it’s the health of the entire planet where everyone lives, you might think that GOP legislators, their campaign donors, and their constituents might find their way to a self-interested position.
The planet will be fine. All Mother Earth has to do is get rid of you stupid humans and things will be back to normal within a few thousand years.
Sounds good to me.
@1 Nah. don’t like it. I have a kid and I want to leave him a planet and a life.
Bob say we have options – rest assured everyone.
80 million Americans are evangelical Christians who believe that God alone is in control of the environment. It goes against their belief in God’s omnipotence to believe that Mankind can alter the climate. In brief-We are all Fucked because of a bunch of born again Christians can’t believe science.
I think you fail to realize/acknowledge that modern day republicanism, like all right-wing movements throughout history, is basically sociopathic. Today’s republican politicians do not have the capacity to genuinely feel empathy. They may be good at faking it, but it is just not in their skill set to care about anything beyond their immediate, short-term needs/desires. If the planet becomes biologically intolerable for a large number of people/animals, fish, etc. in a generation or two, I don’t think they care. I really don’t. Not their problem.
@6 Don’t you think they’ve already made that abundantly clear?
Republicans — or at least the current species of Republicans — care about making money. They don’t care about 100 years from now because they won’t be alive to make money then.