Ted Cruz on climate change: Do his inaccuracies matter to voters?
In a field of Republican candidates who deny climate change, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz seems to find himself in a whole other category, say scientists.
Republican 2016 presidential candidates Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Rand Paul have all made statements that climate change exists. While none of them offer comprehensive policy plans, or even admit that climate change is human-driven, .
But Cruz says climate change does not exist at all.聽
鈥淭he radical left loves attacking people as anti-science when anyone dares聽question their computer models on global warming,鈥� Cruz said at an Iowa Agriculture Summit in March of last year. 鈥淭hey scream, 鈥榶ou鈥檙e anti-science,鈥� when someone points out, for example, that in the last 17 years, .鈥澛�
Carl Mears, senior scientist for Remote Sensing Systems, tells the Associated Press that Cruz is misusing this satellite data. Cruz specifically started his present comparison at 1997, a year with unusually high temperatures because of El Ni帽o weather.
鈥淚f you start riding your bike at the top of a big hill, you always go downhill, at least for a while,鈥� explains Mr. Mears.
In an Associated Press survey of Republican candidates in November, eight climate scientists agreed: Ted Cruz deserved the lowest score on his understanding of climate change.聽
鈥淭his individual understands less about science (and climate change) than the average kindergartner,鈥� Michael Mann, a Pennsylvania State University meteorology professor, told the Associated Press, referring to Cruz鈥檚 statements. 鈥淭hat sort of ignorance would be dangerous in a doorman, let alone a president.鈥澛�
While campaigning Tuesday at a general store in North Conway, N.H., Cruz was confronted by local residents about his climate change beliefs.
鈥�,鈥� snowboard instructor Sean Carney told Cruz. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a very climate-dependent economy with skiing and tourism. This year has been a banner year for bad snow. The restaurants around here are feeling it with low numbers. The hotels are feeling it.鈥澛�
A 2012 report by the University of New Hampshire found that the state鈥檚 skiing industry when there is little snow.聽聽
鈥淚n 20 years, we鈥檒l see if the same kind of community exists around here,鈥� Carney told Cruz. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure it will.鈥澛�
Carney then asked Cruz why he continues to deny the science of climate change when the Pentagon recently released a report confirming it as an 鈥溾�� national security threat.聽
鈥淵ou ask why ? The Obama Pentagon is hopelessly politicized and partisan,鈥� replied Cruz. Carney tried to ask a follow-up question on Cruz鈥檚 response, but the GOP candidate told the ski instructor: 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to engage in a debate.鈥澛�
Will Cruz witness backlash from blowing off voters鈥� climate change concerns? Possibly.聽
In voters were asked: 鈥淲hen a trade-off has to be made, which is more important to you 鈥� stimulating the economy or protecting the environment?鈥澛�
Some 54 percent of respondents picked the environment, and 34 percent picked the economy.聽
And even Republican-only polls suggest Cruz may be taking a gamble on voters鈥� climate change interest. A 2013 Yale survey found that 52 percent of Republicans believe climate change is happening.聽
And a fall 2015 poll by the University of Texas at Austin found that climate change is occurring, up from 49 percent a year before.
鈥淭丑别谤别鈥檚 seem to care about having clean air and clean water,鈥� James Dozier, executive director of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, told Yale Climate Connections. Dozier鈥檚 group has conducted similar surveys of Republican voters, finding that more than half want the government to reduce climate-warming gases like carbon dioxide.聽
He adds, 鈥淩egardless of how Republicans feel about the issue of climate change, they鈥檙e still more likely to support candidates that support clean energy plans that diversify our sources of energy, that include wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear.鈥�
