Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told voters in New Hampshire that the pollution causing global warming needs to be reduced. Breaking with Tea Party Republicans who explicitly deny the overwhelming science, Romney said that it is “it’s important for us to reduce our emissions” that cause global warming:
I don’t speak for the scientific community, of course, but I believe the world’s getting warmer. I can’t prove that, but I believe based on what I read that the world is getting warmer. And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that. I don’t know how much our contribution is to that, because I know that there have been periods of greater heat and warmth in the past but I believe we contribute to that. And so I think it’s important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and the global warming that you’re seeing.
Watch it:
Romney has not, however, endorsed any policies that would actually achieve his supposed goal of reducing global warming pollution. In his book, No Apology, Romney endorses the climate policy of Bjorn Lomborg, who grossly misrepresents science to claim adaptation to rapid climate change will be a simple prospect.
Update:
Enviroknow’s Josh Nelson notes that six weeks ago, Mitt Romney told Fox News that he supports increased oil drilling and coal mining:
Well, you get the prices down by convincing people who are investing in gasoline futures, so to speak, the speculators — you let them understand that America is going to be producing enough energy for our needs. And that means we’re going to start drilling for oil. We’re going to use our natural gas resources, which are now extraordinarily plentiful, given new technology. We’re going to use our coal resources. Of course, we’re going to pursue all the renewables, but you have to have oil and gas to power America’s economy.