Two weeks after telling reporters he's not a scientist, Rick Scott reminded reporters on Tuesday that... he's no scientist!
Scott had made a stop in Miami on Tuesday when he was asked about the impact of manmade climate change.
"I'm not a scientist," he said, per the Miami Herald. He then tried to deflect the question by talking about his environmental record, which is probably not the hottest idea. But you can't blame him for that since, as he continues to remind us, he's not a scientist.
See also: Rick Scott Says "I'm Not a Scientist" as He Continues to Ignore Climate Change Issue
"Do you believe manmade climate change is significantly affecting the weather, the climate?" someone asked him Tuesday.
"Well, I'm not a scientist," Scott replied. "But let's talk about what we've done. Through our Division of Emergency Management -- the last few years, three years -- we put about, I think, $120 million to deal with flooding around our coast. We also put a lot of money into our natural treasures, the Everglades, trying to make sure all the water flows south. So we're dealing with all the issues we can. But I'm not a scientist."
But the questions persisted:
"In 2011 or 2010, you were much more doubtful about climate change," an activist told the governor on Tuesday. "Now you're sounding less doubtful about manmade climate change because now you're not saying, 'Look, I doubt the science.' Now you're saying: 'I'm not a scientist.' Am I right in guessing that?"
"Well, I'm not a scientist," Scott replied. "But I can tell you what we've accomplished. We put a lot of effort into making sure that we take care of our natural treasures - the Everglades, making sure water flows south, any flooding around our coast. So we're doing the right thing."
For the record, among some of "right things" Non-Scientist Rick Scott has done for the environment:
- Budget cuts that have screwed up the state's waters
- Seriously hamstringing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- Appointing a man who was responsible for screwing up the Everglades to protect the very Everglades he screwed up
- Totally gutting Florida's environmental protection programs across the board
Meanwhile, the National Climate Assessment says South Florida, in particular, is "exceptionally vulnerable to sea level rise."
Scott's insistence on not answering questions about climate change by invoking the Marco Rubioan Fifth (i.e.: Claiming not to be an expert to avoid making basic true statements that would otherwise hurt you among your base) is bizarre at best and dangerous at worst.
In the span of two weeks, a governor who has the balls to talk up his supposed environmental record and about the things he plans on doing for the environment has refused to acknowledge what the majority of scientists have been saying for years: Climate change is manmade, and it's going to sink Florida into the ocean.
Meanwhile, Scott, who has taken more than $1 million in campaign contributions from utility companies, with $550,000 of that coming from FPL, is set to approve the construction of a new nuclear plant in Turkey Point and another in Miami for FPL.
Much like Rubio, who started this new I'M NOT SCIENTIST, MAN trend last year and is also ignoring climate-change dangers, Scott is pandering to those in his base who think the scientists are wrong, climate change is cyclical, and Fred Flintstone was a historical figure.
But New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie thinks voting for Scott is a no-brainer. So there's that.
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