Think Progress

Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’

In 2003, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) declared that global warming is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” During a debate this past Tuesday night, when asked whether he stands by that claim, Inhofe offered a defiant defense of his position:

INHOFE: I think I was right on that, and I do believe — first off, let’s keep in mind, though, what the issue is. It’s not whether or not we’re going into a global warming period. We were. We’re not now.

You know, God’s still up there. We’re now going through a cooling spell. And the whole issue there was is it man-made gases, anthropogenic gases, CO2, methane. I don’t think so.

Asked whether John McCain is a victim of the global warming “hoax,” Inhofe responded, “People are afraid of some of the environmentalists out there because they pour all the money into campaigns and, consequently, we have a lot of people who fall in that category, and some of them are Republicans.”

Summing up his assessment of global warming science, Inhofe declared: “It’s hysteria.” Watch it:

This chart prepared by NASA’s Goddard Institute clearly disproves the notion that we’re in a cooling period:

nasa-gw-2007.jpg

Far from a “cooling spell,” the U.S. is now entering a period of “global boiling.” Each day brings new, troubling headlines of a world wrought with extreme storms, floods, droughts, rising seas, catastrophic change, and species loss.

In addition, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) recently reported that Arctic sea ice volume likely hit a record low in 2008. NASA data shows that for a four-week period in August 2008, sea ice melted faster during that period than ever before. Apparently, the “cooling spell” hasn’t been felt in the Arctic.



Featured Comment: dono says: "I love the line about ‘fear of the environmentalists…because they have all the contributions to politicians…’

yea good thing they control politicians and not oil, gas and manufacturing companies! Those concerns have a fraction of the funds compared to the Fat Cat, wealthy environmentalists."

Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date

65 Responses to “Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’”

  1. shoeless Says:

    No, the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people was the election of James Inhofe to the U.S. Senate.


  2. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    well if THIS doiesn't bring out the trolls then nothing will.


  3. Zooey Says:

    That's what ya get for thinking, Inhofe. Der...


  4. pithaughn Says:

    "We’re now going through a cooling spell" He is right, it is autum and the average daily temps in the N hemisphere are going down. Praise JEEEZUS, he saved us again! We still need to sacrifice a few virgins on the winter solstice though to make sure spring comes next year.


  5. MapleStreet Says:

    Yep. Those funds rasied by donations of DFHs have so much more money than the ppor corporations.


  6. Zooey Says:

    You know, God’s still up there.

    How very child-like...


  7. dono Says:

    He is just pissed he is no longer relevant. Used to be this was a wedge issue in the good old days of W. Now he is just barking into the wind, on the worn dirt spot, at the end of his chain outside the dog house...

    Someone throw him a hockey stick to chew on.


  8. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Icorrespond with a friend who's a staunch global warming denier.

    From what I can make of his arguments, this "cooling period" idea is based on the fact that 1998 was such a hot year. Because every year since (except for 2002, which tied it) has fallen short of those record global temperatures, they say this means we're "cooling".

    I've tried explaining the numbers to him, and the concept of "warming" and "cooling" trends, but he doen't seem to get it. It's almost like he's on the payroll of some oil company-funded think tank.


  9. Badmoodman Says:

    Inhofe:"You know, God’s still up there."

    - - There's no there there.


  10. Doc Rock Says:

    Inhofe should have gone to clown college!


  11. Fred Says:

    Inhofe (R-OK) declared that global warming is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people

    Wrong, trickle down economics is the greatest hoax.


  12. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Doc Rock Says:

    Inhofe should have gone to clown college!

    I bet they have scholarships available for someone of such innate natural gifts.


  13. nanlichi Says:

    I don't know, I have certainly noticed that the nights are cooler than they were a month ago. God is even making the sun come up a little later and go down a little sooner than even a couple of weeks ago.

    I am a devoutly non-religious person, but maybe my neighbor (who is a Born Again) has been praying and I am the lucky recipient of the answers to his prayers?

    Or maybe these dumbfcks like Inhofe should have paid attention in elementary school science class. These graphs would make some sense to them.


  14. scytherius Says:

    Have heard this guy many times on talk radio. What a clueless moron. The greatest hoax perpetrated on mankind (well, aside from Jesus) is the Republican Party/Conservatism.


  15. nanlichi Says:

    Sorry pithaughn at #4. You already said it for me.


  16. dono Says:

    I love the line about 'fear of the environmentalists...because they have all the contributions to politicians...'

    yea good thing they control politicians and not oil, gas and manufacturing companies! Those concerns have a fraction of the funds compared to the Fat Cat, wealthy environmentalists.


  17. raynman Says:

    I don't know who should be more upset: citizens of Oklahoma, citizens of Connecticut... oh there are so many choices with the (R) and the (I)....


  18. scytherius Says:

    And . . . why is it that these global warming denier dimwits fail to realize that global warming just doesn't mean everything gets hot. I mean it's not like Jesus (there he is again) moved the Earth over some Bunson Burner. It affects weather differently depending on several factors. In some places it will get hotter and in others cooler. Didn't these people ever watch Bill Nye the Science Guy?


  19. Zooey Says:

    scytherius Says:

    Didn’t these people ever watch Bill Nye the Science Guy?
    October 9th, 2008 at 11:16 am

    Er, scary "science" word in there -- No!


  20. LividLib Says:

    he's right and we'll experience even more cooling come Nov 2nd when daylight savings ends!


  21. unbelievable Says:

    Far from a “cooling spell,” the U.S. is now entering a period of “global boiling.” Each day brings new, troubling headlines of a world wrought with extreme storms, floods, droughts, rising seas, catastrophic change, and species loss.

    Sounds like a chapter out of the bible(s)...

    Does this mean the "World is Ending" nutjobs will be back on the streets again?

    I have missed them since they went into hiding after having been quite wrong about 2000 being the end.


  22. unbelievable Says:

    You know, God’s still up there. We’re now going through a cooling spell. And the whole issue there was is it man-made gases, anthropogenic gases, CO2, methane. I don’t think so.

    How embarrassing to be an American.

    I have a friend who has been in New Zealand for the past year. Last week, he let his return ticket to the US expire. Apparently, the rest of the Industrialized world isn't as religulous as the United States of America.


  23. CheeseFlap Says:

    God in sky unhappy we not make more guns. God in sky slowly take away ball of fire in sky. Air more cooler now. God in sky punish with freezing until we prove love and make more guns to fight in army for Jesus. Enemy must accept his love or die. Sky get darker now. Must find cave.


  24. Progressive Veteran Says:

    So... I don't know if any of you have studied climate before, but I have.

    And his quote is the most ridiculous things I have ever read in my entire life. It is completely untrue, stupid, and retarded.

    Wow.


  25. upside99 Says:

    "fear of the environmentalists…because they have all the contributions to politicians"

    This from a man with his head so far up Big Oil's arse, he hasn't seen daylight for 20 years! No wonder he is confused about Climate Change, he is living in a totally artifical one.


  26. spearNmagicHelmet Says:

    why can't oklahoma have a secessionist movement?


  27. barracks9 Says:

    Ah, I see...climate never changes in the Jeebus-Bubble.


  28. 5th Estate Says:

    “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”

    Given the the US has done exactly diddly-squat about the climate crisis, Inhofe can't complain that a hoax has actually been "perpetrated".


  29. barracks9 Says:

    You'd think the Rapture minions would embrace climate change as a sure sign of the impending End Days, no?


  30. henry wallace Says:

    It's a thermometer thing...Inhofe hasn't liked thermometers since his mater pulled it from his bum and shoved it in his mouth. He's been spitting crap ever since.


  31. shoeless Says:

    spearNmagicHelmet Says:
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    why can’t oklahoma have a secessionist movement?

    Because, like most red states, Oklahoma could not survive without "pork" from the federal government. For every tax dollar sent by Oklahomans to Washington DC, the state receives $1.35 in return. They are supported by liberal havens such as Massachusetts, which receives only $0.85 in return for each dollar sent to Washington.

    http://www.nemw.org/taxburd.htm


  32. Leftside Annie Says:

    Inhofe: you're a GD terminally effing STUPID nincompoop, and you really truly need to STFU.


  33. Shayne Says:

    No trolls on a global warming thread. I guess the RNC can't afford that .05 a post any more.


  34. 5th Estate Says:

    spearNmagicHelmet Says: why can’t oklahoma have a secessionist movement?

    I've thought for a while now that the US should be and could be split into two. One half would comprise the west coast states, the most northern states (bordering Canada) and the north-eastern seaboard states states down to Delaware and the other half would be all the rest.

    After a period of mutual voluntary cross-migration each could then enjoy their own distinct political and social systems system more representative of their respective populations.


  35. Anonymouse Says:

    It seems Senator Imhofe has confused winter for a "global cooling period."


  36. christopher wiwi Says:

    The greatest hoax played on America since the SHRUB stole two ELECTIONS.......then some OAKIES elected this maroon.The more these REICH winger open their mouths the more they keep hurting Mcwars and co, I love it.


  37. MCMetal Says:

    Inhofe Defends ‘Global Warming Is The Greatest Hoax’ Comment: ‘I Think I Was Right’

    "Thinking" ; not exactly your strong suit , is it , Inhofe ?


  38. lurker Says:

    Whenever is see his name I see it as "Im-a-hole"

    “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”

    I thought it was the war in Iraq?

    These people love to diss science, but "thank god" when it's
    used to save their life.


  39. unbelievable Says:

    lurker Says: These people love to diss science, but “thank god” when it’s used to save their life.

    I think it's also funny how they 'thank god' when things go in their favor, but damn other people when they don't.

    Either gawd is controlling the universe, in which case, he is responsible for ALL that happens including the bad stuff, or he simply doesn't exists and you have to take responsibility for the choices you make in your own life.

    Isn't the later the reason children have invisible friends? To avoid accountability when things don't go their way?


  40. upside99 Says:

    And the good sheeple of Oklahoma will re-elect him in a landslide.

    SHEESH!!!!


  41. lurker Says:

    unbelievable Says:
    I think it’s also funny how they ‘thank god’ when things go in their favor, but damn other people when they don’t.

    Like football players who like to "thank god" when they win.
    Yea I'm sure god answers your prayer to win, but tells people
    praying for food to "go die".


  42. nanlichi Says:

    Horrible car wreck, kid comes out mangled, one eye missing, both arms chopped off, IQ of a 4 year old, but he's still alive.

    "It's a Miracle! Praise Jesus!"

    Was Jesus on a cell phone and distracted when the car ran into that semi, or was He a little late and is just responsible for keeping the little tyke breathing?


  43. shoeless Says:

    #34,

    If you think illegal immigration by Mexicans is a problem, wait until you see the mass influx of red staters once they realize that they will starve without support of the blue states.


  44. unbelievable Says:

    lurker Says: Like football players who like to “thank god” when they win. Yea I’m sure god answers your prayer to win, but tells people praying for food to “go die”.

    There simply is too far much unnecessary suffering in the world for their god to be either benevolvent or omnipotent

    Even if he were real, their god is most definitely not worth worshipping.


  45. unbelievable Says:

    nanlichi Says: Was Jesus on a cell phone and distracted when the car ran into that semi, or was He a little late and is just responsible for keeping the little tyke breathing?

    Exactly!


  46. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Shayne Says:
    No trolls on a global warming thread. I guess the RNC can’t afford that .05 a post any more.

    That's one of three possible explanations as I see it, Shayne. The second is that the trolls are all so depressed by their usual arguments being shat on by reality that they're all either curled up in fetal positions under their computer tables or locked in deep Cheetos-toxicity comas.

    The third possibility is that TP finally found a way to lock them out, but I don't think that's what happened. trolls provide too much entertainment, and drive page counts too high for them to really want to eliminate them.


  47. shoeless Says:

    I think it is option #2. Just check out the story about the NSA spying on Americans and passing around the salacious bits. Every lie supported by these gullible fools has been exposed as such. Even they now realize they have been accomplices to the greatest crimes in the history of the US government by the blind support of their criminal idols.


  48. bitblt Says:

    With so many TPers loudly trumpeting that science has declared man made global warming to exists, bit was wondering when any TPer would starting loudly trumpeting why – the scientific why of course – it’s important to deal with it?

    To help some of you work through this obscure question bit will make it clearer. Where, or what, in science says that it’s important for life to continue on earth?

    For those you still working on this…
    What in Darwinism, since most TPers are Darwinist, says that life is important? Can one really loudly declare that evolution got us to this point and then declare that it’s important that we continue?


  49. shoeless Says:

    bitblt, it obviously isn't important for all life on Earth to continue. In fact, those of you who wish to continue to destroy the Earth should leave immediately.


  50. lurker Says:

    Bitbit are you having a palin moment?
    You typed a bunch of words, but they don't make any sense?


  51. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    bitblt asks some interesting questions.

    ralph suggests that, in a strictly objective sense, one may reach the conclusions that bit suggests -- namely, that life is irrelevant to the planet.

    however, ralph also thinks that in a narrower, more selfish perspective, the perpetuation of life on this planet is an important goal for humans as it fulfills a deeply instinctive urge toward the continuation of the species.

    In this sense -- if one accepts the premise that the continuation of life on this planet is a goal toward which humans should direct some energies -- it would seem important to deal with an environmental impact that threatens this goal. Especially if, as many scientists have postulated, human activity plays an outsized role in this impact.


  52. shoeless Says:

    Unfortunately, like most right-wingers, bitblt does not understand science. This is the root of their problem. He poses a philisophical question and asks for it to be answered by science.

    Fools should not concern themselves with deep questions.


  53. nanlichi Says:

    nanlichi is also selfish, like ralph, who nanlichi would like to throw a kudo to (a shout-out if you will, but nanlichi cares about the world left to our progeny. Maybe nanlichi is responding to several million years of natural selection when those kinds of instincts kick in, but nanlichi really doesn't give a flying fck why, it is the right thing to do to leave this world in as good a way as we can. Nanlichi will continue to support efforts to fight global warming and fight the extremists who would damage the earth in the name of their mythological diety.


  54. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    ralph would like to recognize nanlichi's fervent devotion to the future, however nonsensical such passion may seem to bitblt.


  55. Keith Says:

    I know you cannot take one day as proof, but:
    October 7, San Francisco was 102 degrees and Monterey was 104.
    This has happened in the past, but the last 18 years it has happened one hell of a lot more.


  56. whosbarmynow Says:

    Every day, I'm reminded why it's good to be an atheist.


  57. shoeless Says:

    Isn't it strange how many Christians want to destroy God's creation and how many atheists want to save it?


  58. lurker Says:

    Keith FYI
    When the graph was first developed in 1998, scientists had to rely primarily on tree ring measurements to estimate the temperature in earlier centuries, and the graph is routinely criticized by climate skeptics who question the science it is based on. For the new study, scientists were able to examine many other temperature indicators in the natural record—including coral reef skeletons, ice cores, sea-floor sediment, stalagmites and stalactites—and they reached the same conclusions. The hockey stick stands.

    http://www.enn.com/climate/article/38094


  59. dbadass Says:

    dbadass, thinks those self replicating molecules are so self absorbed...


  60. chascates Says:

    "You know, God’s still up there."
    First prove that and then prove we're into a period of global cooling.


  61. 5th Estate Says:

    bitblt:
    "Where, or what, in science says that it’s important for life to continue on earth?"

    Science doesn't say anywhere that it is important for life to continue on earth", science just observes and explains how life exists, flourishes and expires.

    It's the religious nuts who claim the importance of the continuation of human life at the exclusive expense of all other life and who refuse to acknowledge the fact of extinction and change in the balance of life on the planet.


  62. kasinca Says:

    He also claims to be in a family with no flaws. He obviously never looked in the mirror.


  63. pbg Says:

    bitbit: nobody here is a Darwinist.
    It ain't an ideology. It's a scientific theory that seems to be largely proven.
    I'm not an Einsteinist either, or a Maxwellist, or a Watson-Crickist.

    "Important" is not a scientific term. No scientist has any idea whether humanity is 'important', or whether life is 'important' or whether the universe is 'important.' '
    Is God 'Important'?
    What the world's scientists are saying is 'This is what's happening. Here are some of the consequences. Here's what you do to mitigate the consequences."

    Alles klar, herr kommissar?


  64. bitblt Says:

    shoeless Says:

    Unfortunately, like most right-wingers, bitblt does not understand science. This is the root of their problem. He poses a philisophical question and asks for it to be answered by science.
    Fools should not concern themselves with deep questions.
    October 9th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    Well here’s a break for you shoeless. bit will take an answer from any perspective. While many TPers use the scientific viewpoint to focus on and justify interest in the problem of global warming, what viewpoint do they take to answer the question, “Why is it important to do something about global warming?”

    Doesn’t science have something to say about that?

    RTWL suggested that the preservation of the species might be important. It might be important but is this desire collectively wired into the species to the point that collectively we, the species, can act in concert to do something about it?

    Would the desire to preserve the species have an exception in the right to abortion? Couldn’t we collectively say that a mother’s obligation to the species is more important that her convenience?

    OTH, bit takes it that shoeless thinks answering philosophical question with science is verboten.

    Others have expressed philosophical opinions based on science. Of course they’re “big names” in science. Since shoeless considers himself qualified to remark on bit’s understanding of science, bit would assume that the following two “big names” in evolutionary science, and what they’ve said that made them famous, would be familiar to shoeless..

    As you can see apparently not all scientists think answering philosophical questions, or having philosophical opinions, causes any problems at all.

    Take the famous Dr. Provine statement for example.

    “Naturalistic evolution has clear consequences that Charles Darwin understood perfectly. 1) No gods worth having exist; 2) no life after death exists; 3) no ultimate foundation for ethics exists; 4) no ultimate meaning in life exists; and 5) human free will is nonexistent” (Provine, 1998).

    This is from the abstract Dr. Provine presented for his keynote speech at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Darwin Day celebration in 1998.

    In his keynote Dr. Provine noted that the first four implications were so obvious to modern naturalistic evolutionists that these ideas didn’t need defending. In case it’s not clear to you, shoeless, what Dr. Provine is giving up in his scientifically based philosophical statement; he’s saying there is no basis for the concept of justice.

    google William Provine if you interested.

    And how about the opinion of the famous Dr. Eric Pianka, shoeless.

    Here’s a quote:

    “We're no better than bacteria!" University of Texas biologist Eric Pianka recently announced. "Things are gonna get better after the collapse because we won't be able to decimate the Earth so much," he added. "And, I actually think the world will be much better when there's only 10 or 20 percent of us left."

    Did Dr. Pianka omit the philosophical part and just skip to the application of some sort of science, or does the remark, “…We’re no better than bacteria!” strike you as a philosophical? Any value judge strikes bit as philosophically, or religiously, based especially when it has to do with killing off a very large number of people.

    Dr. Pianka’s quote comes from
    http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MURDOCK-06-15-06

    Dr. Pianka’s specialty is the study of lizards, and bit would assume that they – the lizards – would do well in a warmer environment.

    And as far as what “big name” scientist posit, you can read anything from Richard Dawkins to see that philosophical opinions based on science are about a common as water.

    Apparently, “big names” evolutionary biologists agree there’s no meaning or purpose in naturalistic evolution so the question, “Why is it important to do something about global warming?” would seem to need an answer, scientifically speaking, of course.


  65. shoeless Says:

    You moron. Scientists are allowed to philosophize, just like anyone else. That does not mean scientific method is meant prove or disprove a philosophy.



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