Jon Tevlin with the StarTribune wrote a column in the April 29, 2015, issue of that paper discussing a floor discussion on an amendment to the omnibus job growth and energy affordability finance bill.

The evening of April 28, 2015, the Minnesota House debated the above GOP-crafted bill that has many things in it that are of the “drill, baby, drill” mentality. Rep. Melissa Hortman offered an amendment that stated the Legislature believes climate change is happening and human activity is one of the causes because “she said that 97% of scientists agreed on the issue, and cited increasingly hotter weather patterns, and drought and flooding across the state that has cost more than $400 million.”

The ensuing Republican scramble sounds like it was quite entertaining and frightening at the same time.  We’ve provided a link to this article below, so you can get the full impact yourself.

Here’s a quote:

“Rep. Eric Lucero, R-Dayton, presented a fascinating, if largely unintelligible, theory on the Ice Age: that the Earth warmed itself without combustion machines, so the Earth is at fault for current warming. I think that’s what he said.

To which Rep. Yvonne Selcer, DFL-Minnetonka, responded: “I know Will Steger.”

(Again, let’s have Bolstad respond to Lucero: “There have been several global warming and cooling epochs in Earth’s history, and we have a very good idea of the cause for most past events. None of them are causes of the current warming. This argument is like saying we should keep letting the kids play with matches, because we’ve had fires before from lots of different causes.”)”

Thank you, Rep. Selcer, for standing up for our environment and the validity of science.

Here’s a link to Mr. Tevlin’s column.

climate change · HD48A · House District 48A · Rep. Selcer · Yvonne Selcer

In the elections have consequences column, Sen. James Inhofe, who’s been a climate change denier for years, is now the Chair of the Senate’s Environment Committee.

His first act after taking the gavel?  A rant about how human-caused climate change isn’t real.  Don’t believe us?  Here’s the video:

2015 Senate Environment Chair · climate change · climate change denier · global warming · human caused climate change · James Inhoff · Senator Inhoff

On January 15, 2015, Joel Achenbach posted an article with the above title on the Washington Post‘s website.

This article reports on an article published in Science by “18 researchers trying to gauge the breaking points in the natural world.” In the article, the authors contend “we have already crossed four ‘planetary boundaries.’ They are:

• the extinction rate
• deforestation
• the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and
• the flow of nitrogen and phosphorous (used on land as fertilizer) into the ocean.”

The article goes on  to state, “No one knows what will happen to civilization if planetary conditions continue to change. But the authors of the Science paper write that the planet ‘is likely to be much less hospitable to the development of human societies.'”

You can read the full post here.

climate change · environment · science · Washington Post

Meteorologist Paul Douglas is coming to Eden Prairie on Tuesday, February 18, 7:00 PM. Here’s the specifics:

Our climate is changing at an alarming rate. From giant hailstorms to polar vortices, Minnesotans are already experiencing extreme weather. Are weird weather events becoming Minnesota’s new normal?

On Tuesday, February 18, join Environment Minnesota, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, and Cool Planet to hear from nationally recognized meteorologist and entrepreneur Paul Douglas for “Weird Weather: Minnesota’s new normal? Our Changing Climate and What We Can Do About It.”

The Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants are a critical first step, but we need to make sure that the EPA finalizes the strongest possible standards.

What: Meteorologist Paul Douglas presenting “Weird Weather: Minnesota’s New Normal? Our Changing Climate and What We Can Do About It”

When: Tuesday, February 18, 7-8:30 pm. Doors open at 6pm with informational exhibits from local organizations!

Where: Eden Prairie High School, 17185 Valley View Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55346. Park in lot on north side of the school. Enter through Door #1

You can reserve your spot by visiting this website.

climate change · environment · Paul Douglas · severe weather

Greg Gladen posted on the mnprogressiveproject.com website a commentary on why he believes Rep. Paulsen needs to be replaced as the CD3 representative in Congress because of his party’s votes on climate change.

Read the complete post here.

3rd Congressional District · cd3 · climate change · Congressman Paulsen · Erik Paulsen