Emery Shifts Attention From Birther to Global Warming Conspiracy Theories

Ed Emery jams with Orly Taitz, July 2009

Via The Turner Report, I see that birther Rep. Ed Emery (R-Lamar) thinks that global warming and climate change are a bunch of hooey.

As a scientist, I have been frustrated for some time over the absence of logic in some of the climate-change declarations...

In the rippling heat of “consensus,” the ostrich of Climate-Gate is being permitted to continue its economic destruction undetected and unimpeded. Someone has to say something – maybe it should be Missouri. The climate is important to all of us, but it is time to demand that predictions be based on measured data and developed following the scientific method, not political consensus.

It's not really shocking that a right-wing legislator who actively engages in birtherism also thinks that there's a conspiracy behind all that climate science.  But it's worth noting -- for the umpteenth time -- how pervasive these conspiracy theories among the Missouri GOP leadership.  Emery is the Chairman of the House Utilities Committee, which does have a thing or two to say about energy policy in the state.

Emery is the one with his head the sand here. There is overwhelming consensus among scientists that the earth is getting warmer, and that real action needs to be taken now.  The only place where there is real debate is in the political arena, where a well-funded campaign to sow seeds of doubt and preserve the status quo has paid dividends in the talk radio and Fox News crowd.