Climate change activists to deliver ‘science lesson’ to Ross Spano

Several grassroots organizations and concerned constituents plan to bombard Congressman Ross Spano over his recent statements denying the severity of climate change. 

Voters from Spano’s Congressional District 15, the group TB Climate Action, Extinction Rebellion, the Hillsborough County Democratic Environmental Caucus, Indivisible East Hillsborough and the Tampa Bay Sierra Club are planning to deliver climate change textbooks to Spano’s district office in an effort to educate him on the issue. 

The event is at 10 a.m. Monday at Spano’s Brandon office located at 10101 Bloomingdale Avenue. 

Last weekend Spano appeared on WFLA’s Politics on Your Side in an interview with host Evan Donovan in which he blatantly denied that climate change was manmade.

Pressed further on the issue, Spano rejected consensus from 98 percent of climate scientists that the issue is the result of human interference and is a serious health, economic and environmental issue.

Spano compared today’s climate science to the barbaric practice of “bloodletting,” implying that scientists of the future might change their minds.

He further made reference to a non-existent Time Magazine cover that made reference in the late 1970s to a coming ice age. That cover never existed, but a doctored magazine cover made its rounds on the internet after being shared by conservative celebrity and musician Ted Nugent. 

“The Congressman is apparently in need of a science lesson following his off-the-rails interview last weekend,” a press release announcing the event read. 

Since his interview, Spano has faced a barrage of criticism from climate activists and elected Democrats including Rep. Adam Hattersley who is running against Spano for his Congressional seat. 

Congresswoman Kathy Castor last week posted a Twitter storm of complaints against Spano’s comments as well as links to several resources documenting the threat of climate change. 

This is another in a line of issues plaguing Spano’s campaign. He’s also facing criticism over illegal campaign contributions in his 2018 election in which he used personal loans from friends to infuse cash into his campaign. Spano has since admitted the loans were in violation of campaign finance law.