Ron Johnson doesn't get why anyone cares about climate change because the US is not Africa
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who narrowly won his recent reelection, complained that global climate change didn't really matter because his state could use a little less snow.
Speaking in the Senate Budget Committee Wednesday, economist Michael Greenstone addressed the health costs of climate change.
Johnson picked up one of the maps that were part of the exhibits on global climate change and increased temperatures and explained he didn't think that it was all that big of a deal because the United States isn't all that hot, not like Africa.
"I actually found that chart of yours somewhat comforting for at least America," Johnson said, holding up the paper. "When you take a look at the mortality — which, these are all, again, projections. I don't — I don't put any stock in them at all..."
Johnson continued, "But by your own projections throughout the United States because of climate change, we're actually going to have a reduced risk of mortality in the United States - and, um, wouldn't that really tie in with what the study Lancet in 2021 said we suffer about 600,000 deaths due to heat every year but 4.5 million deaths because of cold? So, in terms of excess deaths, a warming globe is actually beneficial. In my own state, your study shows that we'd have a reduction in mortality of somewhere between 54 and 56 people per, I guess it's a hundred thousand. Why wouldn't we take comfort in that?"
Greenstone explained that what the map shows is that the impact "will be very unequal." So for states like Wisconsin or in cities like Chicago where Greenstone lives, the reduction of cold days would be better.
"But if you look more carefully at that, there are large swaths of the country where the damages will be much larger and I —" Greenstone continued before being cut off by Johnson.
"But again, if you want to balance it out globally, if you're trying to mitigate harm globally, isn't it true that the number of deaths according to this Lancet study caused by heat are 600,000 per year and deaths caused by cold are 4.5 million annually. So the fact - in terms of world health, in terms of excess death, we're actually in a better position by having the climate increase in temperature a little bit, right?" Johnson asked.
The Wisconsin senator isn't taking into consideration any deaths that would surface as a result of other things caused by climate change, such as the droughts that could reduce access to food, the increase in violent storms like hurricanes and tornados, which also take lives and cause billions in damages annually, and the increase in wildfires that cost lives, property as well as crops and livestock.
"Senator, I'm not familiar with that study. What I'm familiar with is my own study. Your characterization of it is incorrect," said Greenstone. He went on to say that Wisconsin might benefit from a reduction in the temperature-related mortality rate, but there are 49 other states than his. "Many of them will suffer. Many of them will suffer more than Wisconsin will gain, and that is the nature of climate change. It's very unequal."
"According to your study, you're very concerned if you're in the really hot region of Africa, but in terms of the United States and most of Europe, we're in pretty good shape. We're all blue," said Johnson. "We have reduced risk of death."
Greenstone explained that a large selection of the United States isn't in the "blue area."
"Your colleagues represent those people and those people are going to face an increased risk of mortality," he explained.
Only a few years ago, Johnson told a crowd: “I don’t know about you guys, but I think climate change is – as Lord Monckton said – bulls-it." It was a reference to British conservative climate change denier Lord Christopher Monckton. “By the way, it is.”
See the video below via Forbes or at the link here.
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