Hurricane Ida brought powerful wind and rain to Louisiana and drenched the Northeast.

Devastating fires have consumed California forests and burned people out of their homes.

Politicians and pressure groups, from President Biden on down, rushed to capitalize on people’s heart-rending losses, and exploit them to push the global warming narrative.

President Biden said, “The past few days of Hurricane Ida and the unprecedented flash floods in New York and New Jersey is yet another reminder these extreme storms and the climate crisis are here.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Global warming is upon us, and it’s going to get worse, and worse, and worse, and that’s why it’s so imperative that we pass the two bills.”

Embattled Governor Gary Newsom, speaking on the Caldor and Dixie fires, vowed to “continue to lead on climate change, and that is our resolve and commitment to take a backseat to no one in this country in terms of our commitment to radically change the way we produce and consume energy.”

There is a chorus of voices conflating our weather with climate in ways scientific data does not support.

Hurricane Ida strengthened over a warm Gulf of Mexico.  Yet there is no trend that shows the Gulf warming in a meaningful way.  This is U.S. government data. Could any number of wind turbines, solar panels, or electric vehicles have meaningfully altered this temperature data, or for that matter Hurricane Ida?

Biden wrong on fires and Ida 1

Similarly, California rainfall always varies greatly from year to year.  Here, for example, is the precipitation data for San Diego.  Rainfall is low this year, yet not as low as many other years, some over a century ago.  Who truly believes that taxes, redistribution or energy mandates could have meaningfully brought more or less rain?  Would that even be desirable if they could?

Biden wrong on fires and Ida 2

When Hurricane Katrina struck, New Orleans flooded, not because of climate change, but because aging levies and pumps failed.  We spent the last sixteen years improving the levies and pumps.  This year they held.  That’s what genuine “infrastructure” investment looks like.

CFACT stands with everyone who has suffered loss from fire, wind or flood.  Count on our thoughts, prayers and action.

We must manage our forests better, harden the New York City Subways against storm surge and rain as required, and continue to ensure our noble first responders have the equipment and planning they need to protect us.

There has always been extreme weather and always will.

Exploiting the suffering caused by nature’s fury to push radical redistribution and climate policies is shameful.