6 ms·

FWIW, Trump stated in a recent interview that he would keep an "open mind" on climate change. He was probably informed by his advisers that climate change is re

by anondon 10y ago

FWIW, Trump stated in a recent interview that he would keep an "open mind" on climate change. He was probably informed by his advisers that climate change is real.

szul 10y ago
His policies seem to change based on who is in the room with him, so I guess it's best to get the right people in that room.
- nannal 10y ago
  At least his accent is static
  - ceejayoz 10y ago
    Your "which thing should I give a shit about" decision making process needs some serious calibration. Side note: Humans subconsciously adjust accents to their audience. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/7931299/Humans-subconsciously-mimic-other-accents-psychologists-claim.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/7931299...
  - nerdponx 10y ago
    The accent is the only genuine thing about him.
- JohnJamesRambo 10y ago
  We need to get someone intelligent to follow him at all times.
  - Ericson2314 10y ago
    A toast to viziers in all ages!
- nerdponx 10y ago
  Which makes his cabinet appointees all the more unsettling.
  - szul 10y ago
    Agreed.
- intrasight 10y ago
  Because he has an attention span of 5 minutes (according the the ghost writer of his book) We are doomed.
  - Diederich 10y ago
    We've had worse, and we've seen worse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Removal_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Removal_Act A President Trump very well might be a step backwards, but I'm pretty confident that it will only be a temporary setback.
    - morgante 10y ago
      That it's a "temporary setback" is small consolation to the native Americans. I'm sure the Holocaust was also just a "temporary setback" too, right?
      - lucasmullens 10y ago
        Godwin's law strikes again.
        morgante 10y ago
        https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/12/14/sure-call-trump-a-nazi-just-make-sure-you-know-what-youre-talking-about/?utm_term=.7aef2e3dcdb9 https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/12/14/...
    - intrasight 10y ago
      >We've had worse, and we've seen worse While true, I'd like think things are different now.
- skhnpnb 10y ago
  Exactly the same as Hillary.
- vinhboy 10y ago
  Except that's not how protecting the environment works. You can't undo damage to the environment as easily as you can destroy it. So if in one minute he thinks its ok to do something destructive, in the next minute it will be too late to undo that. Please keep this in mind. This applies to other areas of life as well. If you are an undocumented child living in this country. You can't have a normal life if all you know is that Trump might change his mind. You will forever live in fear. That's not fair to anyone.
  - szul 10y ago
    Oh, I don't disagree.
burkaman 10y ago
Have you seen his appointments so far? They matter a lot more than an interview, and he is not surrounding himself with people who are going to tell him that climate change is real.
yoyomaforce 10y ago
I believe with politicians, it's better to just judge them on what they do. They make so many conflicting statements(especially now), it's hard to tell where they actually stand, and they prefer it that way. Trump has appointed an energy secretary and head of the EPA who both believe climate change is a hoax and want to gut any carbon related regulation. The questionnaire they sent to the energy department also makes it seems like they're preparing to purge climate researchers. The only silver lining is that Perry seems to be very open to renewable energy tech based on his time in Texas, and I think the economic argument for it becomes stronger each year, so it becomes harder to deny.
- ams6110 10y ago
  Here's the reality: fossil fuels will only be replaced by something that's more economical (assuming we don't run out, which doesn't seem close to happening). If renewables get to that point, we won't need regulation to get rid of fossil fuels. It'll happen automatically.
gns24 10y ago
Trump doesn't necessarily need to believe in climate change; renewables are becoming competitive and make sense from an energy security standpoint. Trump just needs to be convinced that subsidising coal makes no sense. Elon may be able to convince him that the jobs that the renewable energy industry can provide are better than those the coal industry can offer.
- tomp 10y ago
  China might help here - if they ramp up their subsidies & innovation in the green energy space, US/Trump will have a lot of motivation to follow suit!
  - rtx 10y ago
    Or by reducing regulation on lithium mines.
- jimbokun 10y ago
  Might flip West Virginia back to the Democrats, though. Unless he can find some other way to keep them on board (and I wouldn't put it past him at this point). Don't know if anyone outside of West Virginia really cares about keeping the coal industry going.
  - venomsnake 10y ago
    It don't have to be coal - just stable blue collar jobs. Those people that drill in the mines will be as happy building and maintaining wind turbines. Or dams. Or solar. Also we may be able to use coal for other stuff - has anyone tried to make ground coal into soil with bacteria and worms - with growing soil erosion problem that could be a market too.
    - ZeroGravitas 10y ago
      If that is true then they should probably have voted for the candidate that promised $30 billion in tax breaks and re-training to lure green energy jobs to their state.
crucialfelix 10y ago
I think that all these politicians that deny climate change actually do know perfectly well that it's true. They just keep saying it because it turns the minds of liberals to emotional mush. That's why Trump says it - to antagonize his opponents (us) and possibly because of deals (pipelines, drilling) and unwillingness to waste profits on protecting the planet. Some of them really do think that Jesus will come back when they've completely screwed up the planet.
- untog 10y ago
  > I think that all these politicians that deny climate change actually do know perfectly well that it's true. They just keep saying it because it turns the minds of liberals to emotional mush. No, I think they say it because climate change is very inconvenient in the short term if you represent a state that depends on fossil fuels, which many do. Why try to solve the unpopular problem when you have leave it for the next representative to deal with in 4/8 years time?
  - MaxfordAndSons 10y ago
    Yea this is the main motivator. But there's some truth to gp's theory: many of them undoubtedly love antagonizing liberals by denying their view of reality, all the more so because their denial includes a rejection of hard science, the supposed vanguard discipline of rationality and progress.
travmatt 10y ago
While he told you he would keep an open mind on climate change, he also sent a memo to the DoE seeking the names of every scientist who has worked on climate change related issues. Personally, I believe a persons actions much more than their rhetoric.
ChuckMcM 10y ago
I think the summary is the number of things that Trump has said "in an interview" which are is direct opposition of each other is high. It is unusual to find something he has said consistently in any interview and it is the basis of his appeal (everyone can find him saying something they approved of whether or not they are referring to a time when he said he was for something or when he said he was against that very same thing) As a result, what he says appears to have little relation to how he actually proceeds.
Merad 10y ago
Today he has an open mind, tomorrow he might be a die hard convert, and next week he'll be back to believing it's a Chinese hoax. There's literally no point in taking anything he says at face value.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
Freestyler_3 10y ago
Or he knows it exists, knows it is an issue, but does not give it priority over all else. He is anti PC, that means he won't fit in the PC box.
BurningFrog 10y ago
My take is that after having won the election, he's moving from saying what wins votes to what helps govern. I'm really confused by all the Trump haters who assume he's always telling the truth when he says things they don't like. More likely he's pandering to someone else.
thesimpsons1022 10y ago
i wanted to believe that but then you who he appointed for secretary of state(exxon ceo), the EPA and rick perry in charge of the department he forgets the name of.

by anondon 10y ago

FWIW, Trump stated in a recent interview that he would keep an "open mind" on climate change. He was probably informed by his advisers that climate change is real.

szul 10y ago

His policies seem to change based on who is in the room with him, so I guess it's best to get the right people in that room.

nannal 10y ago
At least his accent is static
- ceejayoz 10y ago
  Your "which thing should I give a shit about" decision making process needs some serious calibration. Side note: Humans subconsciously adjust accents to their audience. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/7931299/Humans-subconsciously-mimic-other-accents-psychologists-claim.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/7931299...
- nerdponx 10y ago
  The accent is the only genuine thing about him.
JohnJamesRambo 10y ago
We need to get someone intelligent to follow him at all times.
- Ericson2314 10y ago
  A toast to viziers in all ages!
nerdponx 10y ago
Which makes his cabinet appointees all the more unsettling.
- szul 10y ago
  Agreed.
intrasight 10y ago
Because he has an attention span of 5 minutes (according the the ghost writer of his book) We are doomed.
- Diederich 10y ago
  We've had worse, and we've seen worse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Removal_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Removal_Act A President Trump very well might be a step backwards, but I'm pretty confident that it will only be a temporary setback.
  - morgante 10y ago
    That it's a "temporary setback" is small consolation to the native Americans. I'm sure the Holocaust was also just a "temporary setback" too, right?
    - lucasmullens 10y ago
      Godwin's law strikes again.
      - morgante 10y ago
        https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/12/14/sure-call-trump-a-nazi-just-make-sure-you-know-what-youre-talking-about/?utm_term=.7aef2e3dcdb9 https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/12/14/...
  - intrasight 10y ago
    >We've had worse, and we've seen worse While true, I'd like think things are different now.
skhnpnb 10y ago
Exactly the same as Hillary.
vinhboy 10y ago
Except that's not how protecting the environment works. You can't undo damage to the environment as easily as you can destroy it. So if in one minute he thinks its ok to do something destructive, in the next minute it will be too late to undo that. Please keep this in mind. This applies to other areas of life as well. If you are an undocumented child living in this country. You can't have a normal life if all you know is that Trump might change his mind. You will forever live in fear. That's not fair to anyone.
- szul 10y ago
  Oh, I don't disagree.

burkaman 10y ago

Have you seen his appointments so far? They matter a lot more than an interview, and he is not surrounding himself with people who are going to tell him that climate change is real.

yoyomaforce 10y ago

I believe with politicians, it's better to just judge them on what they do. They make so many conflicting statements(especially now), it's hard to tell where they actually stand, and they prefer it that way. Trump has appointed an energy secretary and head of the EPA who both believe climate change is a hoax and want to gut any carbon related regulation. The questionnaire they sent to the energy department also makes it seems like they're preparing to purge climate researchers. The only silver lining is that Perry seems to be very open to renewable energy tech based on his time in Texas, and I think the economic argument for it becomes stronger each year, so it becomes harder to deny.

ams6110 10y ago
Here's the reality: fossil fuels will only be replaced by something that's more economical (assuming we don't run out, which doesn't seem close to happening). If renewables get to that point, we won't need regulation to get rid of fossil fuels. It'll happen automatically.

gns24 10y ago

Trump doesn't necessarily need to believe in climate change; renewables are becoming competitive and make sense from an energy security standpoint. Trump just needs to be convinced that subsidising coal makes no sense. Elon may be able to convince him that the jobs that the renewable energy industry can provide are better than those the coal industry can offer.

tomp 10y ago
China might help here - if they ramp up their subsidies & innovation in the green energy space, US/Trump will have a lot of motivation to follow suit!
- rtx 10y ago
  Or by reducing regulation on lithium mines.
jimbokun 10y ago
Might flip West Virginia back to the Democrats, though. Unless he can find some other way to keep them on board (and I wouldn't put it past him at this point). Don't know if anyone outside of West Virginia really cares about keeping the coal industry going.
- venomsnake 10y ago
  It don't have to be coal - just stable blue collar jobs. Those people that drill in the mines will be as happy building and maintaining wind turbines. Or dams. Or solar. Also we may be able to use coal for other stuff - has anyone tried to make ground coal into soil with bacteria and worms - with growing soil erosion problem that could be a market too.
  - ZeroGravitas 10y ago
    If that is true then they should probably have voted for the candidate that promised $30 billion in tax breaks and re-training to lure green energy jobs to their state.

crucialfelix 10y ago

I think that all these politicians that deny climate change actually do know perfectly well that it's true. They just keep saying it because it turns the minds of liberals to emotional mush. That's why Trump says it - to antagonize his opponents (us) and possibly because of deals (pipelines, drilling) and unwillingness to waste profits on protecting the planet. Some of them really do think that Jesus will come back when they've completely screwed up the planet.

untog 10y ago
> I think that all these politicians that deny climate change actually do know perfectly well that it's true. They just keep saying it because it turns the minds of liberals to emotional mush. No, I think they say it because climate change is very inconvenient in the short term if you represent a state that depends on fossil fuels, which many do. Why try to solve the unpopular problem when you have leave it for the next representative to deal with in 4/8 years time?
- MaxfordAndSons 10y ago
  Yea this is the main motivator. But there's some truth to gp's theory: many of them undoubtedly love antagonizing liberals by denying their view of reality, all the more so because their denial includes a rejection of hard science, the supposed vanguard discipline of rationality and progress.

travmatt 10y ago

While he told you he would keep an open mind on climate change, he also sent a memo to the DoE seeking the names of every scientist who has worked on climate change related issues. Personally, I believe a persons actions much more than their rhetoric.

ChuckMcM 10y ago

I think the summary is the number of things that Trump has said "in an interview" which are is direct opposition of each other is high. It is unusual to find something he has said consistently in any interview and it is the basis of his appeal (everyone can find him saying something they approved of whether or not they are referring to a time when he said he was for something or when he said he was against that very same thing) As a result, what he says appears to have little relation to how he actually proceeds.

Merad 10y ago

Today he has an open mind, tomorrow he might be a die hard convert, and next week he'll be back to believing it's a Chinese hoax. There's literally no point in taking anything he says at face value.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

Freestyler_3 10y ago

Or he knows it exists, knows it is an issue, but does not give it priority over all else. He is anti PC, that means he won't fit in the PC box.

BurningFrog 10y ago

My take is that after having won the election, he's moving from saying what wins votes to what helps govern. I'm really confused by all the Trump haters who assume he's always telling the truth when he says things they don't like. More likely he's pandering to someone else.

thesimpsons1022 10y ago

i wanted to believe that but then you who he appointed for secretary of state(exxon ceo), the EPA and rick perry in charge of the department he forgets the name of.