Rep. Shimkus: Too LITTLE Global Warming Pollution?

Here’s another clip from Wednesday’s House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing on climate change adaptation. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) had an odd exchange with British aristocrat and famed global warming denier Lord Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf25tkuxOW4[/youtube]

Their basic argument was this: Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis … so if we limit our man-made carbon dioxide emissions, won’t we kill all the plants?

Do Shimkus and Monckton think plants only came along after humans learned how to start burning fossil fuels? In reality, it’s quite the opposite — since we started getting really good at burning carbon-based fossil fuels, forests have started getting really good at catching fire.

And to back up all this nonsense about global warming pollution being great for plants, they cite the Cambrian period? A time when there were no land plants? That’s your shining example? Come on. Lord Monckton may be the darling of the denier crowd, but he wouldn’t stand a chance on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”

One other note about the Cambrian — sea levels were 30 to 90 meters higher than they are today. Not exactly a comforting reference at a hearing about the possible impacts of climate change.