Climate craziness descends on Kentucky

We recently reported on the effort led by the fossil-fuel-funded John Locke Foundation and Heartland Institute to scuttle North Carolina's efforts to regulate greenhouse gas pollution. Among their arguments against addressing such pollution: the biblical End Times are coming, so what's a little warming anyway?

Well, one of the latest states to be subjected to the wacky ideas of the climate change doubters is Kentucky. Last month, state Rep. Jim Gooch -- the Kentucky Democrats' chief environmental strategist and longtime coal industry buddy -- held a hearing on global warming but declined to invite any scientists to speak. Instead, he invited Lord Christopher Monckton ("the 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley"), an adviser to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who once called for HIV/AIDS patients to be locked up for life, and James Taylor, a Florida-based fellow with the Heartland Institute.

Taylor blatantly lied to the lawmakers, claiming that "most scientists don't believe in global warming." He also claimed that warmer weather would allow "our children" to "enjoy an Earth with far more plant and animal life." Monckton, meanwhile, quoted the Bible while claiming global warming was a myth perpetuated by Al Gore, the United Nations, Hollywood and the media.

After protests by lawmakers over the unbalanced two-hour presentation, Gooch allowed two environmentalists from the audience to speak for a few minutes. Read about the whole debacle in this story from the Kentucky Herald-Leader.