Science Fiction

Hurricane Irma is moving across Florida leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The storm may have lost some of its punch after making landfall but Irma is still very dangerous and the safety of first responders and residents in harms way remains paramount.

Despite the seriousness of the storm it seems that even hurricanes can spark political folly these days. While Irma was still out in the Atlantic the massive size of the storm prompted speculation around how climate change has impacted hurricanes formation. The scientific answer is: yes, climate change does make for wetter and more powerful storms. The political answer is: now isn't the time to talk about climate change. At least that is the position of US Environmental Protection Agency Secretary, Scott Pruitt. During an interview with CNN, Pruitt stated exactly that, adding that asking the question was insensitive to the people of Florida.

If there's one thing Scott Pruitt knows about that's insensitivity. He's not been shy about hiding the fact he wants to make it easier on polluters. Since he was elected Oklahoma's attorney general in 2010, Pruitt has been insensitive to people everywhere through litigation designed to undermine regulation that protect air and water across the country.

For Pruitt and, more broadly, the Trump administration, the time to talk about the impact of climate change is never. Pruitt has denied climate change and Trump famously tweeted it was a hoax. The reality is that now is exactly the time to hear from climate scientists since now is the time we are dealing with the impact and aftermath of the storm.

Science should dictate how we spend the billions of dollars necessary for rebuilding and future proofing against the next Irma or Harvey. Yet science isn't a priority for Trump or the Republicans. In fact, the GOP is downright hostile to science, knowledge, and learning. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 58% of self-identified Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe that colleges and universities have a negative effect on "the way things are going in the country."

That is a stunning indictment of science and education and a snapshot of the devolution of conservatism in America. Conservatives used to favor established institutions and gradual change. Those institutions used to include universities and the value they provide in educating the next generation of CEO's, doctors, lawyers, scientists, and engineers. Today conservatives favor closed mindedness and infer the inflammatory rhetoric of pundits and entertainers to be true.

Alternative facts are fiction. Climate change is real. Until science can find a cure for stupid, the low information conservative base that supports Trump and the Republicans will continue to embrace the science fiction they are fed. Not even a hurricane (or three) may be strong enough to change their minds.