Kathy Castor blasts Ross Spano over climate change in Thursday Twitter storm
Kathy Castor celebrates Earth Day by reminding us to put people over polluters.

castor
“We need to listen to scientists on the climate crisis. Not Ted Nugent."

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor launched a 12 tweet Twitter onslaught Thursday criticizing (and educating) her Republican colleague U.S. Rep. Ross Spano over comments he made rejecting climate change. 

“Impt! #Florida policymakers can’t afford to ignore climate science,” Castor began her Twitter storm. “For the sake of our great state and our kids, I encourage @RepRossSpano to understand the costs and impacts of the #climatecrisis. Let’s work together for climate solutions.”

“We need to listen to scientists on the climate crisis. Not Ted Nugent,” Castor continued in a second tweet.

Castor was responding to a weekend interview Spano gave on WFLA News Channel 8 in which he said he didn’t believe climate change was manmade and rebutted 98 percent of scientists who say that it is by comparing science to “bloodletting” used years ago for treating certain medical ailments, a practice now considered taboo.

He also mentioned a non-existent Time Magazine cover from the late 70s purporting to describe a coming ice age. Nugent shared the doctored cover, which was later dubunked. 

The issue is one of Castor’s top priorities. She chairs the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis where she works with lawmakers, scientists and organizations to identify solutions. 

Castor also sponsored the Climate Action Now bill that would block President Donald Trump from withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. Spano voted against that bill.

Castor’s Twitter thread went on to share several articles making the case for climate change and highlighting its dangers. 

“Hillsborough and Polk Counties in #FL are going to be some of the hardest hit by the climate crisis. We need #ClimateActionNow to avoid the worst impacts,” she wrote, linking to an article in the Lakeland Ledger talking about impacts in Spano’s own district. 

In another, Castor linked to a Union of Concerned Scientists article chronicling how climate change is making it too hot to work or play outside. Another links to a Tampa Bay Times article showing the economic impact of climate change. 

“Republicans in #Florida are finally looking at the numbers and it turns out our economic well-being depends upon making our coasts and communities more resilient,” Castor wrote.

She also called attention to a Solar Energy Industries Association map showing Florida, named the Sunshine State for a reason, has just 32,000 solar installations compared to 92,000 in Massachusetts and 105,000 in New Jersey. 

Janelle Irwin Taylor

Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003. Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She formerly served as senior reporter for WMNF News. Janelle has a lust for politics and policy. When she’s not bringing you the day’s news, you might find Janelle enjoying nature with her husband, children and two dogs. You can reach Janelle at [email protected].


5 comments

  • gary

    August 8, 2019 at 9:21 pm

    Scientist do not agree on climate change. Science by definition is never conclusive! There is no such thing as settled science on any front!

    • Nancy Argenziano

      August 8, 2019 at 11:04 pm

      Almost all the worlds scientist know that there is climate change and bedsides what idiot would not err on the side of caution since this is the only planet we have. Stop the lying and do something. Our children’s futures are at great risk. Partisan hack have to stop the nonsense. This goes far beyond politics.

      • gary

        August 9, 2019 at 11:20 am

        @Nanacy…

        Wrong! You are simply repeating what you hear from the propaganda machine. “Almost all the world’s scientist know” is a lie! A lot of scientist completely disagree with the theory, and yes, that is all it is. It is not a known fact. No scientist will ever rule out the possibility of being wrong.

        You should be concerned, but not on climate change or global warming or whatever they call it in the next decade. Remember this is not new! In the 70’s when I was a kid they scared the hell out of us by saying we were heading for an ice age if we did not do something. Their time horizon came and went with not a hint of an ice age! Then was Al Gore telling us in an “Inconvenient Truth” that the planet was done in 10 years! Again, big nothing!

        What you should worry about… If all the the global elites and organizations are all “in” on an agenda without debate, IK would say worry about that! What the hell are they up too?

        https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/03/uppity_deniers_unite.html

  • Dan

    August 9, 2019 at 1:51 pm

    This isn’t “Education” but the ignorance of Indoctrination, propagandizing into Watermelon politics… Pretending its green on the outside but is really Communist Wealth Redistribution on the inside. Until they can clean the air and water of China & Asia without U.S. Tax $$$, they are pissing in the wind. Now get them to plug the Volcanoes, and block sun spots their theory comes from the Flat Earth Society… and the Al Gore Oligarchy.

    • gary

      August 11, 2019 at 2:18 am

      Well said Dan!

Comments are closed.


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