Paul Ryan is the US rep from Wisconsin, he is also a leading climate denier and now he is speaker of the House. This makes him the third ranking individual in the line of command over the most powerful office in the world.
In 2010 Ryan said, “there is growing disagreement among scientists about climate change and its causes.” This statement was ridiculous in 2010 and even more absurd in 2015.
The Huffington Post quoted Ryan as having said some incredibly stupid things on the subject of climate change as part of his bid for reelection to the House last year. This includes statements like, “The planet has faced climate change forever and humans’ pollution might not be to blame.” Ryan was not done, in the one hour debate he went on to say that he does not think that “science”
knows who or what is responsible for climate change.
In an op-ed, Ryan has suggested that climate change should be a low priority for Wisconsinites because it snows in their state in the winter, writing: “Unilateral economic restraint in the name of fighting global warming has been a tough sell in our communities, where much of the state is buried under snow.”
Ryan also asserted that the EPA’s proposed power plant regulations are “obnoxious” and he went on to say, “I think they’re exceeding their authority and I think they kill jobs.”
While Ryan expresses “concern” about the accuracy of climate science, the focus of his opposition is about his disdain for regulation and economic regulation in particular. He constantly asserts that climate regulations would impose an enormous cost on our economy.
Also in last year’s debate Ryan also said efforts to combat climate change are costly and unproven. “The benefits do not outweigh the costs,” Ryan said.
He could not be more wrong.
A cost benefit analyses shows that merit of climate action over inaction. Studies that have corroborated this view include the Risky Business report, and a report form the IIED. There are also a number of more recent reports from Citibank, LSE, WHO, Tufts University, Skeptical Science and the EPA. All of which make the point that there are a number of benefits from combating climate change. Not the least of which is avoiding the astronomical costs associated
with inaction.
