Senate Climate Change Vote

[homersapien 9,725]

http://www.huffingto..._n_6519728.html

WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Wednesday to acknowledge that climate change is real, bringing itself up to date with every major scientific body in the world.

But the Senate also voted down a pair of measures acknowledging that human activity plays any role in that change.

The measures were introduced as amendments to legislation that would force approval of the Keystone XL pipeline over the ongoing presidential decision-making process.

Democrats had been preparing a variety of amendments that would force Republicans on the record on climate change.

The first amendment, from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), stated: "It is the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax." That amendment passed by a vote of 98 to 1. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was the lone senator voting against it.

Even Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who wrote a book titled The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future, joined as a co-sponsor on the Whitehouse amendment. His contention, he said, isn't that climate change isn't real. "The hoax is that there are some people who are so arrogant to think that they can change climate," Inhofe said. "Man cannot change climate."

After the votes, Inhofe took the floor again to re-emphasize his belief that "this whole thing was cooked up by the United Nations."

But then the Senate voted on a second amendment, this one from Republican John Hoeven of North Dakota, that acknowledged human activity is contributing to climate change. That measure fell one vote short of the 60 needed to pass, at 59 to 40, after Hoeven voted against his own amendment.

The Senate held a third vote on an amendment from Democrat Brian Schatz of Hawaii that went even further, stating that climate change is real and "human activity significantly contributes" to it. That measure, too, went down, by a vote of 50 to 49.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chairwoman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, told her colleagues to vote against the Schatz amendment based on the inclusion of the word "significantly."

"I would suggest to colleagues that that inclusion of that word is sufficient to merit a no vote at this time," said Murkowski.

The Schatz measure did manage to gain the votes of several Republicans, however: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Democrats say they're not done trying to force Republicans on the record on climate change. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said there will be a vote Thursday on his own amendment on climate change.

"It starts by admitting you have a problem, just like many other areas of human life," Whitehouse said Wednesday in a speech.

[AUDub 9,948]

Talk about splitting hairs.

How did these idiots get elected?

Edited January 22, 2015 by Bigbens42

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

The same way Obama did.

[homersapien 9,725]

Talk about splitting hairs. :laugh

How did these idiots get elected?

Well, even a half of a hair is progress with this bunch.

[AUFAN78 3,494]

Talk about splitting hairs.

How did these idiots get elected?

This issue notwithstanding, couldn't we ask the same for a seemingly large contingency of our elected officials?

But to your question, why is it happening?

[AUDub 9,948]

Talk about splitting hairs.

How did these idiots get elected?

This issue notwithstanding, couldn't we ask the same for a seemingly large contingency of our elected officials?

But to your question, why is it happening?

Stupidity must be an admirable trait.

[WarTim 3,192]

Talk about splitting hairs. :laugh:/>

How did these idiots get elected? :dunno:/>

The competition was THAT much worse!! :-)

[AU-HANDLEY-TIGER 205]

We are actually in the longest period between ice ages according to researchers, the Earth

heats and cools , is mankind causing this extended heating cycle , who knows, but I know deforestation , burning of fossil fuels and general abuse of the environment by humans cant be good. Every dominate species in history has been wiped out and maybe the Earth is getting ready to shed its fleas , so to speak.

[AUFAN78 3,494]

"Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote." -George Jean Nathan

[Weegle777 63]

So many jokes......

[Weegle777 63]

Of course climate change is real. Everybody agrees with that.

[AUDub 9,948]

So many jokes......

No jokes needed. When you elect a den of fools, it's inherently funny.

Just not "haha" funny.

[Weegle777 63]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

[AUDub 9,948]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

[AUDub 9,948]

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

[AURaptor 1,113]

I'm sure the 4.6 billion yr old planet cares what the Senate thinks on the matter of climate change.

Did they also agree that the Earth revolved around the sun too ?

[Weegle777 63]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

Natural cyclical change. That's easy. The climate changes, it has always changed and it always will. Every person on the planet knows this.

[Weegle777 63]

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight of the obvious.

Dorothy L. Sayers

[AUDub 9,948]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

Natural cyclical change. That's easy. The climate changes, it has always changed and it always will. Every person on the planet knows this.

Climate scientists account for such variables. Doesn't matter. I could refute it all day and you wouldn't listen. I tire of trying to explain things do you while you do the metaphorical equivalent of sticking your fingers in you ears chanting "lalalalala can't hear your."

You and the senate have hit step 2 on the denialist checklist. Maybe we'll make it to step 3 in my lifetime

1. It's not happening!

2. It's happening but we're not the cause!

3. It's happening and we're the cause, but it's good for us!

[AFTiger 282]

Well there is a step 4:

It is happening, we are not the cause but it is good for us.

322

An MIT professor of meteorology is dismissing global-warming alarmists as a discredited “cult” whose members are becoming more hysterical as emerging evidence continues to contradict their beliefs.

During an appearance on this writer’s radio show Monday, MIT Professor emeritus Richard Lindzen discussed the religious nature of the movement.

“As with any cult, once the mythology of the cult begins falling apart, instead of saying, oh, we were wrong, they get more and more fanatical. I think that’s what’s happening here. Think about it,” he said. “You’ve led an unpleasant life, you haven’t led a very virtuous life, but now you’re told, you get absolution if you watch your carbon footprint. It’s salvation!”

[Weegle777 63]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

Natural cyclical change. That's easy. The climate changes, it has always changed and it always will. Every person on the planet knows this.

Climate scientists account for such variables. Doesn't matter. I could refute it all day and you wouldn't listen. I tire of trying to explain things do you while you do the metaphorical equivalent of sticking your fingers in you ears chanting "lalalalala can't hear your."

You and the senate have hit step 2 on the denialist checklist. Maybe we'll make it to step 3 in my lifetime :glare:/>

1. It's not happening!

2. It's happening but we're not the cause!

3. It's happening and we're the cause, but it's good for us!

Are you talking about climate change, global warming, or global cooling? Which is it? Because the climate changes. No one disputes that. I agree with you, why are you so upset?

[homersapien 9,725]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

Natural cyclical change. That's easy. The climate changes, it has always changed and it always will. Every person on the planet knows this.

Come on Weegs. We've covered this many times.

[AUDub 9,948]

Are you talking about climate change, global warming, or global cooling? Which is it? Because the climate changes. No one disputes that. I agree with you, why are you so upset?

No one is upset, Weegs. It certainly is convenient to perpetrate that myth, rather than face up to valid criticism. It's just your hope for a self-fulfilling prophecy. "If i say he's angry often enough, maybe he'll get angry."

Climate change is driven by global warming.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Bigbens42

[homersapien 9,725]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

Natural cyclical change. That's easy. The climate changes, it has always changed and it always will. Every person on the planet knows this.

Climate scientists account for such variables. Doesn't matter. I could refute it all day and you wouldn't listen. I tire of trying to explain things do you while you do the metaphorical equivalent of sticking your fingers in you ears chanting "lalalalala can't hear your."

You and the senate have hit step 2 on the denialist checklist. Maybe we'll make it to step 3 in my lifetime

1. It's not happening!

2. It's happening but we're not the cause!

3. It's happening and we're the cause, but it's good for us!

Oh we will. There's no doubt about that. It's step 4 that has me worried.

[Weegle777 63]

What, they admitted that the climate changes. What more do you want?

To admit what's causing it.

Natural cyclical change. That's easy. The climate changes, it has always changed and it always will. Every person on the planet knows this.

Come on Weegs. We've covered this many times.

Yet you guys keep posting the same stuff. This is akin to ignoring 100 hungry people now, while storing up food for a 50 people 200 years in the future.