Some of the members of the House Science, Space, and Technology committee belong there like a Catholic priest belongs in a cub scout troop.

Meet the chairman of the committee, Ralph Hall.

NJ: Do you think climate change is causing the earth to become warmer? Hall: I can’t say it doesn’t have a percentage of effects on it – one percent, three percent, five percent. But I don’t think it’s the cause. I don’t think we can control what God controls… NJ: Last year the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science published a survey finding that 97 percent of scientists were in consensus that human activities lead to global warming. Hall: And they each get $5,000 for every report like that they give out. That’s just my guess. I don’t have any proof of that. But I don’t believe ‘em…I’m really more fearful of freezing. And I don’t have any science to prove that.

Well no shit you don’t have any proof of that! Like proof for the god you invoked, it doesn’t exist because that position is so blatantly untrue that anybody uttering it should be disqualified from any job involving a desk.

He’s the fucking chair of the most important science committee in the House and he doesn’t even realize the importance of researching claims before making them.

Or, how about Dana Rohrabacher?

“Is there some thought being given to subsidizing the clearing of rain forests in order for some countries to eliminate that production of greenhouse gases?” the congressman asked Mr. Stern, according to Politico. “Or would people be supportive of cutting down older trees in order to plant younger trees as a means to prevent this disaster from happening?” he continued.

Cut down the rain forests to fix environmental problems? This guy isn’t the least bit familiar with what scientists are saying, and he wouldn’t recognize the basic science behind anthropogenic climate change if it slapped him.

Forestry experts were dumbfounded by Mr. Rohrabacher’s line of questioning, noting that the world’s forests currently absorb far more carbon dioxide than they emit — capturing roughly one-third of all man-made emissions and helping mitigate climate change.

The committee also includes anti-science all-stars like Todd “legitimate rape” Akin and Paul Broun. Who is Paul Broun? He’s the Georgia Congressman who said…

“God’s word is true. I’ve come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and Big Bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of hell. And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who are taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”

This is like recruiting an anchor to your Olympic rowing team. I don’t get it. We want athletes on our football teams, we want architects designing our buildings…why don’t we want scientists informing our governments decisions on science?

A petition exists to request that people familiar with science be the ones on our government’s science committees. Take a second and sign your name to proclaim and defend the fucking obvious.

(Thanks to Ed Brayton for some of these quotes)