At the top of this special edition of "Meet The Press" focusing on climate change, Chuck Todd clearly stated that there is no debate, it's real and that none of the hour's time would be given to denying this reality. This column couldn't agree more with that fact that climate change is real, the planet is warming and humans are the cause. However, even in not giving any air time to deniers, it is those deniers in Congress that hung like a specter over the conversation. During the 'Data Download' segment later in the program, Mr. Todd outlined that today 15% of Republicans in Congress believe the crisis of climate change is real; that percentage is unchanged from 1999 when the question was first asked.
Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) said that there needs to be national policy on climate change to address the problem even though local and state municipalities along with the private sector are taking steps to address the problem. The reason we need national policy is because climate change affects every part of the country - red and blue if you want to frame it in those terms - as the panel discussed.
As Mr. Curbelo explained, in Florida the lunar high tide floods the streets of Miami once a month with no additional rainfall. Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA) explained that the wildfire season used to be in the summer into part of the fall, but now it's all year round. The scorched earth deforestation from fires leaves areas susceptible to mud slides because there's no vegetation to absorb water. This year we saw the most devastating fires in the state's history - 86 people killed and 14,000 homes destroyed. And when asked if he did enough as governor, Mr. Brown stated clearly that though he did a lot, it wasn't nearly enough.
Additionally, Governor Brown explained that in France with its yellow vest protests, a reference point Mr. Todd used too often, that President Macron made the grave mistake of giving a tax break to the wealthy and then wanted to institute a gas tax, which is really a sales tax on ordinary working people. In that context, French citizens have every justification to protest. In California, Governor Brown taxed the wealthy and then proceeded with a gas tax. Mr. Brown said that we have to get away from 'it's the economy, stupid' type of thinking as it's more about the ecology. This column disagrees only inasmuch as to say that it's the economy of now, stupid, but the economy of the future. Ecology now saves the economy for the future.
Former FEMA Director under the Obama Administration and Florida Director of Emergency Management under Jeb Bush Craig Fugate explained that the $100 billion spent in disaster relief last year could be money saved or reinvested in infrastructure. He also mentioned that Hurricane Michael flooded a hanger that destroyed all the F22 military aircraft housed there, meaning more billions sacrificed.
Which brings us to the military which is planning for climate change contingencies. Former Under Secretary of Defense, Michele Flournoy explained that 50% of U.S. military bases abroad need to renovate and prepare for changing climate conditions. The other military factor she mentioned was Arctic ice melt and newly open water areas, which Russia and China are already trying to control for their own.
NASA's Kate Marvel said we should feel a bit overwhelmed because the science is overwhelming. The urgency is all encompassing and to have the entire country thinking in these terms, it starts with leadership. Leadership that need to come from the top, but frankly isn't. When asked about the climate report that 13 Administration agencies put together, President Trump said, "I don't believe it." The specter of denial that endangers our future.
Panel: Former Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy; Former FEMA Director under the Obama Administration and Florida Director of Emergency Management under Jeb Bush Craig Fugate; NASA Scientist Kate Marvel; Florida Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R); Anne Thompson, NBC News
One more thing...
Everyone have a safe, happy and healthy New Year's!!! See you on the flip side of the new year.
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