Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's recent tweet asserting that Earth experienced its hottest day in 120,000 years sparked widespread online debate and skepticism. Omar's call for a "climate emergency" declaration based on this claim was met with questions about the scientific basis for such a statement. Critics, including former White House advisor Stephen Miller and Republican Senate candidate Trent Staggs, questioned the validity of the data and the feasibility of accurately measuring global temperatures from such a distant time period.
Omar's tweet referenced reports, including one from Florida's WFLA-TV, citing the University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer. This tool, while compiling weather data back to 1979, explicitly cautions against considering its data as "official" observational records. The report also acknowledges that weather record-keeping officially began in the 1800s, with earlier data derived from indirect sources like tree rings and ice cores. This reliance on proxy data for prehistoric temperatures raised concerns about the precision and reliability of claims regarding record-breaking heat.
Commentators across the political spectrum challenged Omar's assertion. Conservative voices like Greg Price pointed out the historical development of thermometers, highlighting the absence of such technology 120,000 years ago. Others, including Dinesh D'Souza, requested evidence supporting temperature readings from such ancient times. Matt Walsh, a Daily Wire host, characterized the claim as "hysterical bullsh--." Even Benji Backer, founder of the American Conservation Coalition, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of declaring a national emergency for an international problem, drawing parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While President Biden has prioritized climate change action throughout his presidency, he has refrained from declaring a national climate emergency, a move that would grant him expanded regulatory powers. Despite calls from progressives for such a declaration, Biden has opted for executive orders addressing the "climate crisis." Jeremy Redfern, a spokesperson for Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, suggested that demands for a "national climate emergency" are often a pretext for advancing left-leaning political agendas.
President Joe Biden has pursued an aggressive climate change agenda, but has stopped short of declaring a "climate emergency" to the dismay of progressives. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
