海角大神

California Gov. Jerry Brown took aim at two of the GOP鈥檚 brightest lights and their position on climate policy during his appearance on 鈥�Meet the Press鈥� Sunday. His ammunition: the havoc that a four-year drought continues to wreak on the state of California.

California has long been a frontrunner in environmental legislation, leading the way for the rest of the United States. But in recent years, the Golden State also has become a sentinel for the effects that climatic shifts can have on an entire region.聽Less than a week after unveiling a $1 billion emergency drought relief package for the state, the governor lashed out at prominent Republicans for actively actively opposing efforts undertaken by the Obama administration to curb climate change.聽

Governor Brown didn鈥檛 directly attribute the state鈥檚 current weather conditions to climate change but said the extended drought is the kind of event that climate change is making 鈥渁bsolutely inevitable in the coming years and decades.鈥�

聽that changing climate will bring more frequent and intensified weather events, from聽droughts and heat waves聽to hurricanes and blizzards.

However, Brown lends a different level of credibility to the discussion as an experienced environmental policymaker who has led California through its worst drought in history, says Barbara O鈥機onnor, director emeritus of the Institute for Study of Politics and Media at California State University in Sacramento.

鈥淏rown has very ably raised the stakes on this debate at a time when it is sorely needed,鈥� 聽Dr. O鈥機onnor says.

She points out that Brown was one of the prime movers behind the original 1970 Clean Air Act,聽which tackled air pollution on a national level.

During his 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� appearance, Brown criticized Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky for urging governors to defy federal directives to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

鈥淧resident Obama is taking some important steps,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淎nd to fight that, it borders on the immoral.鈥�

Brown said Senator McConnell was 鈥渞epresenting his coal constituents鈥� and putting at risk 鈥渢he health and well-being of America.鈥�

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just sit around and engage in rhetoric because some of your donors and your constituents are saying, 'Well, we want to make a profit,鈥� 鈥� Brown said. 鈥淭he coal companies are not as important as the people of American and the people of the world.鈥�

Brown also had words for Sen. Ted Cruz (R) of Texas,聽who announced his presidential campaign Monday.

鈥淭hat man betokens such a level of ignorance and a direct falsification of existing scientific data, it鈥檚 shocking,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淎nd I think that man has rendered himself absolutely unfit to be running for office.鈥�

While environmentalists have applauded Brown鈥檚 barbed attack, some observers question whether his choice of words could be turning off the very people he needs to influence if he hopes to exact change.

鈥淲hen you question someone鈥檚 fitness or morality, you are shutting off any chance for constructive dialogue with that person,鈥� says Jack Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in California.聽鈥淩eal deliberation would focus on the substance of the issue, not the alleged character defects of the other side.鈥�

Others suggest that Brown鈥檚 use of the term 鈥渋mmoral鈥� may have been a deliberate appeal to important elements of the evangelical movement, which has been increasingly mobilizing around climate change.

鈥淵oung voters care about it. Latino voters care about it. Educated urbanites care about it. The political cost of inaction is increasing,鈥� says Paul Steinberg, professor of political science at Harvey Mudd College and author of the book, "Who Rules the Earth?"

But some Americans, for their part, may see Brown鈥檚 "Meet the Press" comments as being just as partisan as those by politicians he was taking to task, says Villanova political scientist John Johannes.

McConnell and 聽Brown 鈥渁re talking past each other; two ships passing in the night, each with his own destination,鈥� Dr. Johannes says.