Jim Hansen: Global Warming Versus Politics
on Tuesday, October 27, 2015Jim Hansen Money Quotation saying finding a solution to man-made climate change: Money in Politics is blocking meaningful effort toward change. Jim Hansen said:
“I believe the biggest obstacle to solving global warming is the role of money in politics” — Jim Hansen
In this quote, climate scientist Jim Hansen is identifying what he sees as the primary barrier preventing more meaningful action on climate change. By “the role of money in politics,” Hansen seems to be referring to the large political donations and lobbying influence wielded by fossil fuel companies and other corporate interests tied to carbon-intensive industries.
His view is that these financial resources have allowed such groups to undermine climate policies and delay regulatory steps that may impact their profits. Hansen’s implication is that the political power derived from significant campaign spending and lobbying has made elected officials more responsive to these economic interests than to the scientific reality of human-caused global warming.
He suggests the influence of “money in politics” has been the biggest obstacle to overcoming political inertia and implementing bolder climate change solutions.