The Republican chairman of the House Science Committee is accusing President Obama of exaggerating when describing how climate change is affecting the weather, and when explaining how the Paris climate deal would slow climate change.
“To justify its proposal, the administration makes exaggerated statements and predictions,” Rep. Lamar Smith wrote in a USA Today op-ed Sunday evening.
The Texas Republican said the climate deal, which seeks to limit global warming to 2 degrees celsius, would raise electric bills and drain billions from the economy, and would fall far short of reducing temperatures by 2 degrees.
“If implemented, the EPA’s own data show that the electricity regulation that is the cornerstone of the president’s pledge would reduce global temperatures by only one-fiftieth of a degree Celsius,” Smith wrote.
He also said Obama is simply wrong when he says the world is in perilous danger because of manmade global warming.
“President Obama often suggests that hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts have increased as a result of climate change,” he wrote. “The facts are that hurricanes in the U.S. have not increased in frequency, intensity or damage since at least 1900. Government data also indicate little connection between climate change and tornadoes and droughts.”
“A better solution is to rely on technological advances that have solved many challenges,” Smith added. “Let’s harness entrepreneurship and innovation and let technology lead rather than impose burdensome and ineffective regulations on the American people.”
Republicans have blasted the climate deal reached last week in Paris for bypassing Congress and failing to implement any enforcement mechanisms on the nearly 200 countries who signed it.
