Texas just doesn't want to know.

[johnridley]

On the radio this morning, they were talking about climate change's reception in Texas.
Somewhat predictably, Texas is still in the 90's. They still believe the "scientists are undecided" line, which most of the rest of the world now understands to mean "we found some scientists we could pay off."

I was disappointed but not terribly surprised to hear this. What did surprise me was the attitude towards research. They came right out and said "we don't want research done, because it might show that we need to do something, and we don't want to do anything."

This is every bit as idiotic as the person who refuses to take a test to see if they have cancer, because they want to keep living in a dream world until it's too late. But in this case it's worse; it's like refusing the test for someone else; a child or someone you are responsible for.

A minister said he caught flack just for suggesting during a sermon that people could think about combining trips to reduce the amount that they drive.

Comments

[qnofhrt.livejournal.com]

I was disappointed but not terribly surprised to hear this.

Me neither. A friend worked on the now-defunct Supercollider down there. His kindergarden age kid came home one day to tell him it was the opinion of many of his classmate's parents that working for the SSC was the same as working for the devil.

[tceisele.livejournal.com]

I suppose what we need, is some line of work for Texas that is as profitable as the oil industry, but that deals with reducing CO2 emissions instead of increasing them. As long as they feel that killing the oil industry will reduce them to the same state of penury as, say, New Mexico, the're going scream about global warming being unproven right up until their costal cities flood and the rest of the state goes up in flames.

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

Well, I did hear the other day that between Texas and Oklahoma, there's enough wind energy to power the entire US's current electricity needs.

They could do that in ADDITION to oil, and it would give them an alternative economic base. Deploying wind farms need not significantly reduce the suitability of the land for other uses; they can continue to farm and drill for oil. Hopefully at some place in their secret place, they know they're screwed long term, and should welcome an extra leg to stand on.

[erikvolson.livejournal.com]

Well, I did hear the other day that between Texas and Oklahoma, there's enough wind energy to power the entire US's current electricity needs.

Yeah, but all that hot air will just accelerate global warming.

I believe they are already using wind energy

[techgrrl.livejournal.com]

http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/re_wind.htm

It's just that they are totally locked into mindlessness by the evangelical movement. To think is to invite heresy or apostasy, so better to not think and go to heaven than to think and risk going to hell...

Once thinking is demonized, you get this sort of behaviour.

I am not demonizing religion mind you, merely the leaders who demonize the intellect as a means to control people. They know exactly what they are doing, and do it anyway.

It's kind of sad, this is such a nice planet.

[bwittig.livejournal.com]

What I don't understand is why they don't understand that regardless of global warming, if we combine trips we save ourselves having to pay for gas at $3+ a gal!

Screw politics, I don't want to spend the money!