The Ignorance Pledge

Jonathan Chait of the LA Times is mistaken to think that Republicans in Congress have become more sceptical about global warming because of the association of global warming with the hated figure of Al Gore. To illustrate increasingly Republican scepticism, Chait cites a survey by the National Journal showing that support for scientific conclusions that the "Earth is warming because of man-made problems" has shrunk from 23% in 2006 to 13% this year.

Chait tries to be generous to the Republicans by explaining the reduction in support for climate science as a function of hatred for Al Gore than the campaign contributions of the energy industry. He shouldn't have bothered. The difference between Congressional Republicans in 2006 and 2007 is the defeat or retirement of relatively moderate Republicans from states like Connecticut. As a result, there's a higher proportion of right-wing activists and evangelicals like Kentucky's Ron Lewis among Republicans in the House of Representatives. These kinds of Republicans reject any kind of science that contradicts their evangelical beliefs or undermines their extremely conservative views. Their hatred of Al Gore is just a convenient handle for their general anti-intellectualism.

In fact, the anti-intellectualism has gotten so bad that House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio has refused to appoint scientist Congressmen like Reps. Roscoe Bartlett, R. Md. and Vernon Ehlers, R. Mich to seats on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. According to Chair, another Republican, Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, was denied a seat on the committee because he refused to "say that humans have not contributed to global warming."

For years, Republicans have been pressured into signing Grover Norquist's pledge not to vote for tax increases. Pretty soon, I'll bet that evangelical Republicans and activist conservatives will start circulating an "Ignorance Pledge" requiring Republicans to deny validity to evolutionary theory, bio-genetics and modern astronomy as well as climate science.

Unfortunately, there will be a lot of Republicans eager to sign.