Fail for Minnesota
 

Minnesota once again embarrassed by Michele Bachman
Category: Politics
Posted on: April 25, 2009 11:15 AM, by PZ Myers

Michele Bachmann gave a science lecture to congress. As you might imagine, this was a grand spectacle of stupidity.

Just a few things that jumped out at me (I'm sure you can find more by listening carefully, but I could not bear to pay too much attention).

She repeats over and over that CO2 is a natural gas. Yes, we know…no one is claiming otherwise. (Also, what would an "unnatural" gas be, anyway?) Nitrogen is also a natural substance, it helps plants grow, and we produce perfectly natural nitrogenous materials from our bodies — so does that mean that we should stop sewer services and allow everyone to wallow in their poop?

She claims that not one study has ever been produced to show that CO2 is harmful, and she goes further to claim that CO2 is a harmless gas. We could correct that in just a few minutes: give me a large tank of CO2 and a small room containing Michele Bachmann, and we'll give her a personal experience.

Video of lecture

link

Bless her heart.

CO2 is natural... ;)

Her ilk make me embarrassed to be a Republican. They've become so damn prevalent here in Oklahoma that I'm seriously considering casting my lot with the Democrats.

Folks like Bachmann and some of our local boys in the State Senate/House are complete embarrassments. They've made being the dumbest, least educated person in the room a reason to put your trust behind someone. I could rant forever about the dumb stuff they're doing locally.

...and it's being captured on film.

Coburn scares me!

I actually like him and will probably keep on voting for him. Admittedly, he is a member of "the family," which is not only embarrassing, but possibly repugnant if you believe the whole bit about it being connected to the recent changes to the law in Uganda. He also says and does some pretty nutty stuff, but I love him from a policy standpoint.

He does a good job grandstanding on government excess, particularly in the area of earmarks. As small a part of the budget as they are, earmarks essentially amount to well-connected folks getting to loot the nation's treasury -- what's to like about that?

Also, he's a Sigma Nu, so there's that.

She is right in most what she says with the exception of the 3% figure. I figure that she was in fact looking at .03% which is 3 ppm and simply misread it. I have done the same in meetings.

You have to get into extremely high concentrations of CO2 for it to be dangerous. The same can be said for H20. So do more people die of water inhalation or CO2 inhalation? CO2 is generally pretty harmless. You drink it in sodas and exhale it constantly.

water inhalation usually causes a phenomenon called "drowning" which could prove deadly. LOL

^^^
My point exactly.

Sure we exhale it constantly -- it's inhaling too much of it that's a problem for us. Just ask a canary in a coal mine.

She didn't say "generally pretty harmless" (or "harmless as long as kept in a proper balance"); she said unequivocally it "is a harmless gas." Again, the canary might beg to differ.

It's the total lack of critical thinking on her part that's astounding.

Too much of anything could be bad for one. We are no where near the harmful levels of CO2 at any point on the globe. We would need to be many times higher in the atmosphere to be considered unhealthy. (about 3000 ppm vs the current 300 ppm). CO2 as a hazard to human has never been a part of the debate. The real debate is whether increased CO2 causes a blanket effect in the atmosphere preventing heat energy from passing through. I do not believe so.

^^^ None of which negates or excuses Rep. Bachman's complete lack of critical thinking or intelligent discourse on the subject.

^^^
Then you will agree that Al Gores ascertion that there is a 75% chance that the polar ice caps could be ice free within 5-7 years is equally idiotic?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6956783.ece

And he is supposed to be the "expert".

well wait...there is the matter of the iceberg that is going TO SINK Australia...

DADADA DUUUMMMMM!

Equally idiotic? No. Backman has set the bar too high on that one.

Uniformed or poorly informed or poorly thought out? Sure.

There's no real equality when it comes to idiocy. Everyone is an idiot in their own way. (god knows i am) But this is pretty much strike two for Minnesota. Strike one=Senator Al Franken.