Rush Limbaugh: Global Warming is a Hoax, an Attempt to 'Codify Liberalism as Science'

Cue the My City Was Gone, music -- Talk Show Host/Conservative Commentator Rush Limbaugh says man-made, fossil fuel-based global warming is a hoax and that the alleged perpetrators are promoting it to advance a political agenda.

During his afternoon radio talk show, Limbaugh said Friday that ideology is at the root of the global warming discussion:

One of the things that the left attempts to do is to codify elements of their ideology as 'science.' That is what global warming is all about -- and many other things as well. Codify liberalism as science, therefore making it irrefutable, making it inarguable -- and, of course, they failed. Everybody knows that it's a hoax, said Limbaugh.

But the attempt is made frequently to codify liberalism as science or some other unquestionable aspect of life that people just accept on the basis of the credibility of the field that we're talking about, Limbaugh added.

Essentially, Limbaugh argues that global warming is an attempt by liberals -- presumably in the sciences, other academic fields, in public policy, and the media -- to codify an ideology as science, and not let objective data and evidence be the basis for the conclusion.

Scientific Consensus: Man-Made Climate Change Is Occurring

Limbaugh's assertion is at odds with the scientific consensus. A 2010 study by the National Academy of Science that surveyed 1,372 climate researcher indicated that 98 percent believed in the concept of man-made climate change.

Further, the concept that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could create a greenhouse effect was establish in 1896.

What's more, there's almost universal agreement that human activity is warming the climate.

The United States Global Change Research Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agree, and the consensus on climate change can be found by clicking here.

Public Policy Analysis: Despite an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community, Limbaugh doesn't seem to persuaded by the evidence: he asserts that global warming is an attempt to codify liberalism as science, but he doesn't offer proof that can refute the voluminous literature and independent studies that support the current consensus.

Needless to add, Limbaugh's assertions are not constructive. They give Americans and others the impression that nothing needs to be done to reduce fossil fuel-based greenhouse gases and that is most certainly not the case. Absent measures to reduce them, the climate will continue to get warmer.