Climate Change, Marco Rubio & Common Sense

Climate Change, Marco Rubio & Common Sense

If you have seen An Inconvenient Truth, you right remember a scene that shows a graphic of Florida (like the one above), or what will be left of Florida, after the movie’s predicted ocean rise. Roughly 1/3 of what is now the Sunshine State becomes the Flooded State.

Do I think the climate is changing? Yes, I do.
Do I think the oceans are rising? Yes, I do.
Do I think humanity is the cause of climate change? To some degree but climate change is the natural order of things, so maybe this was inevitable. Do I think 1/3 of what is now Florida will be under water some day soon? The jury is still out on this one. After all, I’m not a scientist.

Which brings me to Marco Rubio. When asked about climate change, the official Rubio campaign mantra is “I’m not a scientist.” Guess what, you are not a war veteran. Does that mean you won’t send troops into war? You are not a doctor. Does that mean you will deny all medical benefits and repeal the laws in the states that have legalized marijuana? You are not a woman. Does that mean you will defund planned parenthood and all the benefits they offer woman? Obviously, I’m exaggerating a bit here but I’m hoping you get the point. Marco Rubio, above all other candidates, needs to have an opinion about climate change and the possible damage it may cause.

So now you are thinking, “Ira, why pick on just Marco Rubio on this one issue.” Simply put, it is his state and the city where most of his people (those people being Cubans and Americans of Cuban descent) live. We all know about NOLA being a toilet bowl and is built below sea level, but Miami is not that far off, being only a few feet above sea level, with a much larger population.

And it’s not just Florida. Here in New Jersey, beach replenishment is no longer something done every 10 years or so to protect the shoreline and the barrier islands. It is now an every year occurrence, an every year expense, and seems to be the only line of defense our leaders have come up with. Great for the Army Corps of Engineers but I’m not sure how great that is for everyone else.

Many politicians and community leaders in South Florida – both Democrats and Republicans alike – have come to realize that rising sea waters and more persistent flooding, is becoming an ever increasing problem. They believe that time is running short on making plans to deal with this issue. That the far right, deep pocketed climate change deniers have taken control of the debate on this issue, and that the evidence is being washed away.

This is where common sense needs to kick in. You can’t just ignore this problem in the face of mounting evidence. Whether you believe this is fault of our fossil fuel happy society, Mother Nature’s natural cycle, or a combination of multiple factors, you can’t just sit there and say “I’m not a scientist” when you are running for the President of the United States. You are supposed to be lead by example, not lead by being coy or playing dumb….unless he’s not just playing, just plain dumb.

And one more thing. Recently Mr. Rubio has been criticizing a certain candidate for his use of colorful language. Really? Is that the most important issue of the day? The fact that the Donald likes his 4 letter words? Guess what…so do I. So Mr. Rubio, I think you should take your “I’m not a scientist attitude,” go back to Florida, ride off into the sunset in a part your home state that will soon vanish under the rising waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and go f’ yourself.