Phil Valentine’s Lying Problem

Posted by Mary Mancini on April 21, 2008 under Uncategorized |

My next post was going to be about Phil Valentine’s assertion in the Tennessean that “There is absolutely no evidence that carbon dioxide causes any kind of climate change.” Thanks, Bruce Barry, for saving me some key strokes:

And the nominees for most witless and uninformed assertion about the environment and climate change in a Sunday Tennessean op-ed this week are…

Bob Corker for his performance in “Return Cap-and-Trade Proceeds to People,” featuring this nugget: “No one can quantify how much of global warming is caused by natural cycles vs. man-made greenhouse emissions.”

Phil Valentine for his performance in “Earth Day Extremists were Wrong in the ’70s, and Still Are” featuring this gem: “There is absolutely no evidence that carbon dioxide causes any kind of climate change.”

Bonus! They both win! (And the Tennessean gets an honorable mention for “for outstanding editorial oversight in the pursuit of scientific integrity.”) Read the truth about these assertions here and here.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm…I love the smell of intellectual dishonesty between 4 and 8 pm in the afternoon…

What amazes me about these talk show ideologues like Gill and Valentine is that they continue to cling hopelessly to their tired-old schtick when public opinion on everything from the war to global climate change is clearly evolving. I guess that’s what happens when you base your livelihood on narrowly-focused ideology rather than truth, civil dialogue, and the desire for smart public policy that works for everyone.

UPDATE: Liz Garrigan wants us to be fair to Corker.