In a move that shocked many Democrats and environmentalists, the Senate overwhelmingly voted 98-1 on Wednesday to approve an amendment stating that climate change is “real and not a hoax.” Even one of the most notorious global warming deniers, Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, signed on to the amendment, which was offered during a debate over the Keystone XL Pipeline bill.
It was the first time a climate-change related amendment garnered such widespread support in the Senate, but since the resolution is non-binding it was really just for show.
And when it comes to the biggest point of contention on the issue — whether or not climate change is man-made — Republicans didn’t budge.
“The climate is always changing,” Inhofe was quoted as saying. He criticized “people that are so arrogant to think” that they can change the climate as perpetrating the real “hoax.”
A second measure stating that human activity, such as fossil fuel emissions, “significantly” contributes to climate change drew only five Republican votes.
The American public also remains split on climate change and what’s to blame.
A 2014 Pew Research poll found a strong partisan divide in whether Americans believe climate change should be a political priority, with 54 percent of Democrats voting that it should be, compared to 15 percent of Republicans.
In 2009, another Pew Research poll reported that 49 percent of Americans agreed that global warming is caused by humans.
While the climate may be changing, Democrats have yet to change the minds of Republicans (and half of America) about why the earth is warming and what should be done.
Video by WochitGneralNews.