Climate change-denying GOP MP is ‘that close’ at Fox to find out

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes was among those Tuesday who taunted Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) for his taunting last release of climate change and said Republican lawmakers “came this close to figuring it out.”

Speaking to Fox Business’s Stuart Varney about the impending Hurricane Idalia, Loudermilk lamented that global warming has (usually rightly) become the most common explanation for extreme weather events.

“I’m no scientist, Stuart, but it’s amazing that everything that happens is bad. Many want to blame climate change first,” he said.

“I think today we’re celebrating the anniversary of Katrina, one of the worst storms in history,” the Georgia Republican continued. “If it were climate change and it kept getting worse, wouldn’t you see more and more of it? Or is this storm getting worse?”

However, hurricanes and other major weather events are becoming more frequent and severe.

On his website the Environmental Protection Agency notes that “cyclone intensity has increased noticeably over the past 20 years”.

“Climate change is expected to affect tropical cyclones by increasing sea surface temperatures, a key factor influencing cyclone formation and behavior,” it said.

NASAmeanwhile, predicts that hurricanes are “likely to result in increased rainfall due to global warming and an increased risk of coastal flooding due to higher storm surges due to rising sea levels.”

“Global storm frequency may decrease or remain unchanged, but hurricanes that form are more likely to intensify,” it said.