Climate Change McCarthyism

By Dr. Randy Simmons, political scientist, Libertarian, and mayor of Providence

One of the more fascinating current political debates is over climate change. What makes it fascinating is the effort to stifle debate by intimidation campaigns against journalists and scientists who believe there is a debate rather than a settled conclusion.

The environment of climate debate is so toxic that even the progressives at the Breakthrough Institute call it Climate McCarthyism. This Climate McCarthyism even showed up in Utah as scientists from Brigham Young University "rebuked legislators in a letter sent Oct 26, five days after the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee heard from Roy Spencer, an Alabama climatologist who doubts human activities are largely responsible for climate change" (Deseret News, Nov 7, 2009). ...