A report from the Center for American Progress, first shared with The Hill, analyzed public statements by lawmakers to determine how many deny the scientific consensus that climate change is real and human caused.
While the 123 members identified in the report are a significant contingent, they also represent a steady decline from the past several years, down from 180 in the 115th Congress. The last Congress saw 139 climate deniers.
However, Trevor Higgins, the Center for American Progress’s senior vice president for energy and environment, said it’s still “concerning that there are 123 members of Congress who still …question the validity of the scientific consensus that our burning fossil fuels is causing the planet to warm.”
“It’s also concerning because it’s so obvious what the facts are, and to watch so many members of Congress pretend that the science is not settled, it just reveals a willingness to disregard truth,” Higgins said.
The report defined climate deniers as lawmakers who say any of the following: Climate change is not real, it is not primarily caused by humans, the science is not settled on climate change, extreme weather is not caused by climate change, or climate change is actually beneficial.
The report does not consider lawmakers who acknowledge that climate change is real but oppose climate actions to be deniers.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
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