Jim Jeffords Plays “Spot the Absurdity” — And Wins!
This was at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing today with Michael Crichton as the key witness.
The money quote: “Mr. Chairman, given the profound human suffering and ecological damage along the Gulf Coast, why are we having a hearing that features a fiction writer as our key witness?”
Jeffords also reassures us that he is not a terrorist, and then suggests that the committee spend its time on addressing problems seriously:
“In Mr. Crichton’s book, State of Fear, a terrorist ring is deployed to cause environmental destruction and bring attention to environmental issues. But I assure you, Mr. Chairman, that unlike these characters in State of Fear, I did not cause the two Gulf hurricanes in order to prompt this Committee and this government into action…
We should be looking into the role of science in making critical response and recovery decisions. We need to incorporate scientific information as we develop programs to help prevent future flood damage. How will we determine the appropriate health and environmental standards for re-habitation of inundated areas? What does science tell us about the best ways to reconstruct in the Gulf Region? Should we be engaging in enhanced wetland protection and reconstruction to possibly protect against the severity of future storms?”
His whole statement is worth reading, at least by the standards of political statements these days. Crichton’s “State of Fear” is a pretty ridiculous anti-environmental piece of pop fiction trash, and repeats ridiculous myths like this one:
“All together, the ban has caused more than 50 million needless deaths. Banning DDT killed more people than Hitler, Ted. And the environmental movement pushed hard for it.”
Of course, DDT was never banned, and has actually become far less effective due to mosquitos developing resistance to it.