Posted on 08/31/2008 4:28:50 AM PDT by Man50D
A final draft of the Republican Party platform includes a first-ever plank on global warming that says human activity has contributed to climate change.
"The same human activity that has brought freedom and opportunity to billions has also increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere," the draft reads. "Increased atmospheric carbon has a warming effect on the earth."
The GOP platform was approved by a 112-person platform committee in Minneapolis, Minn., late on Wednesday and will likely be ratified at the Republican National Convention on Monday.
Conservative experts on global warming told CNSNews.com on Thursday that while they are not surprised that the 2008 platform contains a plank asserting the existence of global warming, they think it was inserted to reflect McCain’s views and does not reflect the thinking of most Republicans.
“I am not surprised that it’s a plank in the platform, because that’s part of McCain’s platform, but it’s disappointing, because it’s an example of Republicans playing ‘me too’ rather than leading,” Ben Lieberman, a senior policy analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told CNSNews.com on Thursday.
Myron Ebell, director of energy and global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told CNSNews.com, “I wouldn’t say there has been a shift just within the party. The platform has just been designed to reflect the views of the nominee.
“There has been a feeling that I have seen among conservatives involved in the platform building that they want to stay as firm as possible finessing the language in a way that will give some ground to Senator McCain,” said Ebell. “But McCain really continues to be on the losing side of this issue with conservatives.”
The 2004 Republican platform included a plank on “Global Climate Change” but did not include references to global warming.
“Republicans are committed to meeting the challenge of long-term global climate change by relying on markets and new technologies to improve energy efficiency,” said the 2004 platform.
I guess since the world seems to be cooling these days, that must be a gift from G-d.
Wonder what Palin will have to say about running on a platform like that?
This was a stupid move. The platform is not supposed to adhere to McCain’s leftist ideology, HE is supposed to adhere to the platform.
Put some ice on it. The bitter loser talk is getting real old.
Idiocy...
Good point.....but the chairs of the platform committee rammed this thru. Contact Sen. lil Dickie Burr of NC to find out how this happened.
I can only hope that this takes on the same tone as the Strategic Defense Initiative and the race to the moon, both of which were actually technology drives designed to pump federal money back into the economy, rather than into the hands of people who would buy Korean electronics, rims and car speakers from China, and hair extensions and nails from God-knows-where.
If the platform can be used to spur American research and technology, fine, but if it’s used as a means for redistributing wealth, either domestically or abroad, it should be flushed immediately.
Party platforms are distinguished from the Vice-Presidency in being worth even less than a thimble of warm spit.
“I am not surprised that it’s a plank in the platform, because that’s part of McCain’s platform, but it’s disappointing, because it’s an example of Republicans playing ‘me too’ rather than leading”
This was my first reaction too - sadness... This topic is one of my major objections to John McCain. Anyone who would buy into this GW hoax - either actually believing it or as a way to get votes - is not someone I can admire!
This is a mistake. Palin needs to talk some sense into Mac.
Freepers/Rush/Hannity need to YELL some sense into McAmnesty, and right now.
We true conservatives have no doubt that mclame is not going to turn into a Conservative. We are energized by the fact that we may only have to “hold on” for 4 more years before a true conservative is in place. We are screwed with either mclame or obama, but at least Palin gives us, to coin a phrase, hope we can believe in.
With Russia arming our enemies and actively antagonizing our friends, this tidbit of news seems a bit silly to be focusing on don’t you think?
One detonated nuclear bomb will likely negate global warming as an issue.
I thought I had seen a thread on FR where the platform had been dropped.
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