A Republican lawmaker is not convinced climate change is real because it is not mentioned in the Bible.
During a Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee discussion on Tuesday, about future weather trends and infrastructure, committee co-chair Minnesota Republican state Rep. Mary Franson argued that climate change is a hoax because it is not in the Bible.
“When we talk about climate change, I don’t get upset about it,” Franson said. “I don’t get worked up about it because my faith is not in climate change. It’s not in scientists dictating what we should and should not do to save the environment because my faith is in Jesus Christ, right? He’s the same today, tomorrow, and forever, yesterday, and so, you know, if you’ve read the good book, you know how it ends; it’s not with climate change.”
Climate change is real, and dismissing it because it isn’t mentioned in a book written over 1,000 years ago isn’t the best way to deal with modern-day problems the planet is facing.
Minnesota House Majority Leader Jamie Long condemned Franson over her remarks, calling her comments “extreme,” which “have no place in any arena of serious policymaking.”
“Minnesotans believe in science and are concerned about the scientific consensus that climate change is causing real harm to our state,” Long added. “As legislators, we have a responsibility to future generations of Minnesotans, and that includes ensuring our roads, bridges, water infrastructure, and public buildings – not to mention habitats, waterways, and forests – are all resistant to extreme weather events. For a co-chair of the committee charged with making these critical investments to turn a blind eye to this reality, and undermine the critical planning necessary to protect our infrastructure, is deeply concerning.”
