Mitt Romney Jokes About Climate Change
Last night, in his speech at the Republican National Convention, Mitt Romney seemed to mock the idea that President Obama wants to address the issue of climate change. Here are some of the reactions from around the web.
- "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet. [Pause. Laughter.] MY promise … is to help you and your family."
- To really appreciate the tone of the moment, you should watch Romney deliver these lines and the reaction of the crowd. It is occurs at 4:40 in the video above. I've queued up this YouTube video to this moment if you want to share.
Twitter responds:
Blog reactions:
- Brian Merchant wrote on TreeHugger about the implication this comment has on the broader "war on science" being waged by the Republican party:
In Romney's Tone-Deaf Climate Comment, Hints of a Coming War on ScienceMitt Romney gave a serviceable, lie-filled speech last night. It was perhaps most notable for not being the speech that Clint Eastwood de...- Writing at Grist, Philip Bump explains why this is a false choice:
What Romney argues is a classic false choice: the idea that we must either choose to save the environment or put people to work. It’s the sort of argument that lets polluters squat in poor communities, insisting that they be allowed to do as they wish or they’ll take their jobs elsewhere. It’s a choice that need not be made, as demonstrated by green jobs and the burgeoning industries built around renewables and efficiency and sustainability.
But that’s not actually what Romney was arguing. He was arguing that Obama is a weirdo who cares more about dolphins than Americans. That Romney will be there for the kids after school with a Wonder bread sandwich while Obama is nursing a spotted owl back to health with his halo.
Romney uses the bully pulpit to mock climate changePresident Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. MY promise ... is to help you and your family. This was o...- Alex Pareene writes at Salon:
STUPID CHAIR, YOU CAN’T FIX OCEANS.So Romney will only promise to help you and your family. Unless you and your family will be affected by climate change, I guess. Then no, probably no help.
Mitt Romney makes funny joke about how Tampa will be under water in a centuryMitt Romney had basically one laugh line in his speech. And it was, of course, disgusting. President Obama promised to begin to slow the ...- ClimateProgress makes an important distinction:
"One can mock Obama for not doing enough to keep this important promise, but not for making it in the first place." 
Romney Mocks Obama's Pledge To Address Global WarmingThe second lamest part of the Republican National Convention - after Clint Eastwood's incoherent ramble - was this part of Romney's speec...- Ken Ward Jr. at CoalTattoo notes how this differs from what Romney did as Governor of Massachusetts:
"Of course, one of the more interesting things about what Governor Romney said last night is how starkly it contrasts with what he did when he was governor in Massachusetts. As the L.A. Times explained not long ago:During his first 18 months as governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney spent considerable time hammering out a sweeping climate change plan to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
As staff briefed him on possible measures and environmentalists pressed him to act, Romney frequently repeated a central thought, people at those meetings said: That climate change is occurring, that the United States has the resources to handle its vast impact but that low-lying poor countries like Bangladesh would suffer greatly.
“It was like a mantra with him,” said a person who attended those meetings who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. “His Cabinet members would look at him like, ‘What?’ He was the radical in the room.”
So has something legitimately convinced Governor Romney to change his mind? Or is he just pandering to the anti-science crowd who a laugh from even thinking about how human activity is changing the planet’s climate and that perhaps something should be done about that?"
Is climate change just a joke to the GOP? " Coal TattooFolks are going to be talking a lot about last night's appearance by Clint Eastwood at the closing of the Republican National Convention,...- Did you see other good reactions to this line? How did it come across to you? Tweet us @TreeHugger or add to the comments below.
