Lt. Governor Mark Robinson Calls Climate Change “Junk Science,” WFAE Reports

According to a new report from WFAE, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson “casts doubt” on climate change and “ridiculed climate scientists.” In the July speech, he calls climate science “junk science” and says “we have now allowed those folks to dictate what we do based on pseudoscience.”

Robinson has previously suggested eliminating science from elementary schools. Now, he’s attacking educators who teach their students about climate change, calling them “liars.”

Robinson is out of step with the “nearly three-quarters of Americans of all political backgrounds think climate change is happening” and even his own party. In 2021, Governor Cooper and Republican lawmakers came together to advance North Carolina’s clean energy future and enacted a law that “aims to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s power plants by 2030.”

“North Carolina is leading the transition to a clean energy economy that will create good-paying jobs and keep our communities healthy and safe,” said Kate Frauenfelder, a spokeswoman for Josh Stein for North Carolina. “Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson’s misinformed denial of climate change threatens the progress our state is making to secure a reliable, affordable, and clean energy future for all North Carolinians.”

North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson isn’t leaving anyone to guess where he stands on climate change: He calls it “junk science.”

As the front-runner for the Republican nomination, Robinson is winning cheers from friendly audiences with his outspoken views on abortion, education and transgender people. His climate change lines draw applause too, but he’s bucking public opinion on climate change.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans of all political backgrounds think climate change is happening and most of those believe humans are the cause.

There’s a broad consensus among scientists that climate change is happening and that it’s caused mainly by our burning of fossil fuels.

In a speech last month, Robinson criticized people — presumably the scientists, public officials and activists — who call for reducing the use of fossil fuels and other efforts to reduce the climate pollution that causes global warming.

“We have now allowed those folks to dictate what we do based on pseudoscience, junk science that has not proven a single solitary thing,” Robinson said.

Robinson ridiculed climate scientists by suggesting that sure, climate change is real. It happens four times a year with the changing seasons.

He also took aim at educators: “These people that are at the college telling your young people that it’s the climate change is gonna kill us all … these people, I’m gonna say it right now, they are liars. Liars,” he said, drawing a loud cheer from the congregation.

It’s yet another way Robinson would present a stark contrast with his expected Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein. Stein has been an advocate for climate action, especially when it comes to clean energy. He has pushed for more renewable energy in Duke Energy’s carbon plan and supported incentives for rooftop solar.

A 2021 Yale/George Mason state-by-state poll found that North Carolina sits right at the national average when it comes to the belief that climate change is happening (71% for NC, 72% national average). The same poll found that 55% of North Carolinians believe global warming is caused mostly by human activity, vs. 57% nationwide.