Hurt, R Rep

VIRGINIA

We have a moral obligation to act on climate change to protect our future generations. Despite the overwhelming

scientific consensus and high costs to taxpayers, Virginia has seven resident deniers who have taken $1,265,624 in

career dirty energy contributions. In comparison, the remaining six members of the Virginia congressional delegation

have only taken $304,532. The state has suffered eight climate-related disaster declarations since 2011, and parts of the

state are already suffering from the impacts of sea-level rise. Below are quotes from six of Virginia’s resident climate

deniers who refuse to believe there is a problem to address:

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA-07): “If there’s been any constant in human history, it’s been climate change. The real question is

the severity of that and the involvement of human causes in all of that.” [ThinkProgress, December 7, 2009]

Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA-04): “Elected officials need to depend on experts in the field to make determinations on the

degree to which our planet is warming, and there is evidence among scientists and researchers pointing in both

directions.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 4, 2010]

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-06): “There is no doubt that the earth’s climate is changing. The earth and its climate are

dynamic, and have changed throughout history even without human activity. We have reached a point where some

experts concur that the earth is once again warming. Regardless of the reason, the debate over climate change should

remind us that we should be good stewards of our planet.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 4, 2010]

Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09): “[Climate change] led to the Vikings dominating Europe for several hundred years.”

[Climate Change Hearing, March 8, 2011]

Rep. Robert Hurt (R-VA-05): Rep. Hurt said that Climategate is “scientists who have given us something that is not true.

It is faulty information and it has real consequences in the 5th District, in the loss of jobs and in power bills from

Appalachian Power Co.” [Daily Progress, February 28, 2010]

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-01): “We must recognize that these climactic cycles of heating and cooling have been going on

well before man appeared on earth.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 4, 2010]