ICYMI: Loren Culp Questions Climate Change Amid Historic Wildfires
The Republican gubernatorial candidate’s anti-science rhetoric no longer limited to mask-wearing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 10, 2020
SEATTLE — As historic climate fires devastate Washington and other Western states, Loren Culp chose this moment to challenge basic science. During a Facebook Live monologue Wednesday, Culp called into question basic climate science — even bringing up debunked reports from the 1970’s discussing the risk of “global cooling.”
Read the report from KXLY here:
Gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp questions climate change in Facebook video
by Erin Robinson, KXLY reporter
Washington gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp expressed doubt in the validity of climate change during a 17 minute Facebook live video on Wednesday.
His comments come as hundreds of thousands of acres of land are burning across Washington state.
In the video, Culp questioned why more catastrophic wildfires have happened in the last 20 years than in the prior 20 years.
“Well, in the 70s, you know I’m old enough to remember, in the 70s there was the big scare about global cooling. It was on the national news. Global cooling, we’re all going to freeze to death. And then it was global warming, we’re all going to burn up. It’s always 10-12 years down the road,” Culp said in the video.
Scientists have proven that the earth is not cooling, but rather warming, which could lead to even more catastrophic events in the future.
Climate change has long been an issue that Culp’s opponent, Jay Inslee, has fought to counteract. In 2019, Inslee ran for president with climate change as the centerpiece of his campaign.
During his Facebook Live, Culp slammed his competitor asking why other issues are not first addressed.
“The climate does change. I’m not denying that,” Culp said. “Why doesn’t he want to talk about the mismanagement of our public forest lands that’s been going on for decades?”
4 News Now has reached out to Culp for more clarity on his stance that Inslee has mismanaged public lands.
Inslee responded to Culp’s claims Thursday during a visit to Malden, which was almost completely destroyed in a wildfire on Monday.
“Open your eyes, following the science,” Inslee said.
The governor said the wildfires seen this week show how important climate change is.
“To that fella, I’d say wake up and smell the roses,” Inslee said. “The wages of not following the science are loss.”
