Clyburn: Global warming hits minorities hardest

House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., today called for more African American involvement in the climate change debate because, Clyburn said, global warming disproportionately impacts minorities.

Clyburn endorsed the establishment of the Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change (CEAC).

Clyburn, speaking at the National Press Club, cited a report by the  Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies,  a Washington think tank.

The report said “African-Americans are also more vulnerable to higher energy bills, unemployment, recessions caused by global energy price shocks, and a greater economic burden from military operations designed to protect the flow of oil to the U.S.”

Comments

[Anonymous]

What about a Commission to Engage Americans on Climate Change? Why the divide?

[bob]

Clyburn is an idiot who is in office due to gerrymandering

[Fed up with Clyburn]

If Clyburn is SO concerned about minorities, why doesn't he help out the TRUE minority; the Native Americans?

That's O.K. He is nothing but an Al Sharpton/Jessie Jackson wannabe. He only wants to help his own race and could care less about every other race living in this state. He would probably build another bridge to nowhere and hail it as a great achievement.

[Fed up with backwards thinking folks in SC!]

I am a Caucasian American who finds a great deal of value in engaging any and all folks in waking up to the realities of climate change. If establishing the CEAC will help engage the African-American communities then I am all for it. Clyburn is looking out for his constituents; I wish we could say that about all SC representatives. Just because he is a black man trying to engage his constituents does NOT make him anything less than a good representative and supporter of what is best for his constituents. In addition, can you DENY the fact that the poorest folks will be the MOST impacted from global warming impacts? Hello...Katrina. I'm tired of reading things posted by South Carolinians that show we are still in the Dark Ages. Please try to be forward thinking instead of letting your thinking keep everyone who lives in this beautiful state behind the times compared to the rest of the Universe!

[Jennifer Graham]

POOR CLYBURN, NOW HE IS BLAMING GLOBAL WARMING FOR THE MISTREATMENTS OF BLACKS, NOT AFRICAN-AMERICANS, YOU CANT BE BOTH YOU ARE EITHER AN AMERICAN, OR AN AFRICAN, CANT BE BORN IN BOTH PLACES AT THE SAME TIME. WAKE UP PEOPLE CLYBURN IS NOT OUT TO HELP THE BLACK OR WHITE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE. HE ONLY WANTS TO HELP HIS FAMILY BY GIVING THEM OUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS TO FUND MUSEUMS, OR GYMS THAT ARE RUN BY HIS FAMILY NOW YOU TELL ME WHO BENEFITS FROM THAT?????????

[Don't Tread On Me]

The policy proposals being made ostensibly in response to anthrogenic carbon dioxide induced climate change (ACO2CC) are likely to be far more devastating than any "global warming" that might be happening, whatever its cause.

Basically, the ACO2CC dogma being shoved at us by the elite is unproven and has serious scientific and logical problems at every level, yet it rationalizes downright totalitarian control of almost every aspect of our lives, mainly by justifying rationing of virtually all energy. Never has so much of our economy & freedom been so threatened by government and activists based on so little demonstrable fact and science. Make no mistake: "Cap & Trade" is a rationing scheme.

Almost any other scientific hypothesis with such weak evidence and such devastating refutations would have been conceded as discredited. Why does ACO2ICC keep getting back up Jason-like every time it's shot down?

Americans of African heritage, and everyone else, do indeed need to get interested, in defense of their own future freedom and prosperity! The greatest service Rep. Clyburn could do his constituents; indeed the greatest service all Congresspersons could do for all Americans in this matter, is to demand objective consistent scientific proof of ACO2CC, including answering its critics with science and fact (instead of threats & namecalling), before adopting it as a basis for policy.

Then, _IF_ that should indeed be accomplished, our elected reps should demand that any measures proposed to respond to or mitigate ACO2ICC be proven to be effective without causing more cost or devastation than it averts. That would include an honest assessment of the cost of big intrusive government having to be endlessly asked for permission to do anything. Proposals that simply grow government and get it more involved in our lives without doing much of anything about ACO2ICC should be DOA, regardless of the yammering of the activists and the slanted coverage of the pop media.

Most of all, don't just stipulate that the less CO2 emitted the better. Furthermore, don't hand any more blank regulatory checks to agencies, courts, & activist litigants, but spell out in the statute what we can & can't do & what it will cost, if you dare. Don't give a nebulous broad mandate to the EPA, then hide behind it while activists sue to make regulations ever more stringent. Our elected representatives, not unelected bureaucrats & judges, are supposed to be the lawmakers.

I honstly believe ACO2ICC is so popular with certain people BECAUSE it is such an apt vehicle for growing government to the point to totalitarianism, and for imposing all sorts of restrictions and arbitrary manipulations on people. Almost every leftist and big-government cause out there can hitch a ride on it.

If, hypothetically, the Anthrogenic Carbon Dioxide Induced Climate Change theory had instead indicated smaller government, lower taxes, and more individual freedom, I think it would have died & disappeared before 1990.

[Jan'et]

As a white woman, will I be invited to participate in the CEAC? If the Democrats are really interested in 'CHANGE', let's start with eliminating the divide between races and have a Committee to Engage ALL Americans on Climate Change??? That's where change from the good ol' boy politics will have to start...

[Bob]

Clyburn is a fool and an embarrassment to South Carolina. ISn'y it funny how many people have become an "authority" on "global warming." This is the biggest bag of liberal wealth redistribution BS that I have ever heard!

[Chuck]

Ok, now that I have stopped laughing and have regained my composure...This is just another attempt by a liberal democrat to drum up race into any issue possible, because that is ALL the democrats have. As long as race can be weaved into any issue, it fires up the black voters to go vote democrat (for example, the "apology for slavery show" the U.S. House just put on). Democrats can never be honest and tell Americans (black or white) what they really stand for. Higher taxes, government control of everything in your life, lack of services, and most of all equal misery in everybody's life. Who would vote for that????

[Chuck]

What truly hits blacks and minorities the hardest is the constant lies of the Democrats that you can't make it without the government giving you everything. The Democrat party has created a permanent class of citizens that will never get out of poverty while they wait for the government to help them, which won't happen because the government would lost power to the people. But isn't that what this country was founded on, power of the people instead of government...hmmm....

[mark]

Kudos Jennifer Graham. I could not have said it better myself.

"House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., today called for more African American involvement in the climate change debate"

Here's the problem in a nut shell. There IS NO debate. The climate change alarmists will not debate the issue under any circumstances. And there's a reason they won't. Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out why.

[Fed up with backwards thinking folks in SC!]

Wow....reading through these comments...how racist. I'm white and truly embarrassed! Very sad, but totally expected here.

What have Republicans done for you? Has this administration been good to you? Perhaps if you are wealthy. Property values have plummeted, job loss at a high, as well as our deficit. Do you like owing money to China? Oh but Exxon made 12 BILLION, Yeah Republicans! Thanks for a great 8 years! I totally want this trend for another 4 years. God bless the Republican Party and all that they have done to (I mean for) America. We are so much safer in this world now and so much wealthier.

[TF]

Mark-

Are you that naive. It's funny that when the DOW Jones was setting record after record highs under Bush no one reported it or gave credit to Bush. But once your liberals gained control everything goes to hell in a handbasket and yet they get no blame. It's the Dems who wanted everyone, especially minorities to own a home. And lo and behold it turns out that not everyone is responsible to be a homeowner. But I guess that Bush and repub's fault. The dems want to increase the minimum wage which makes small business owners not able to hire as much summer help and lo and behold the unemployment goes up and that the repubs fault too. Oh yeah...the dems want to buy votes so they give out $600 and $1200 stimulus checks and they do it by borrowing money from China and that's the repubs fault too. And you complain about Exxons oil profits...Funny how the dems never complain about education profits...I mean according to Obama the cost of tuition has gone up as much as 35% but no one ever talks about taking their profits. Just climb aboard that Marxist train with Obama....do you think anyone will ant to set up shop and do business in the US if they think that their money can just be taken from them by the govt?

[Todd]

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism."

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

I think that says it all!

[Weston Brazell]

I can't believe that Cluburn wants to play another black card. I agree that this is the south and they held slaves. However, I have never owned a slave. My ansisters were either against slavery or just to poor to own any. I have did extensive geneology of my own family tree and I have never found a Brazell that owned a slave. My last name is Brazell and I sure have met a lot of Black Brazell's. I know that I have relitives that are as black as anyone that I know.

My point is we are all a hodge podge of races. I don't think there should be any difference in who joins the discussion on global warming. JUST DISCUSS IT. No Dems, No GOP, No blacks, No whites, No asians, No American Indians Just people. I myself don't care what color a man's or woman's skin is if thay have an answer let's hear it already.