Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines on Wednesday for statements about climate change mitigation programs during a session in Congress.
The MAGA Representative—who previously expressed disbelief in man-made climate change—offered a quip that people during the ice age didn't have to pay taxes to combat it.
According to NOAA, the last ice age ended approximately 11,000 years ago—or around 9,000 B.C..
Greene further attacked the federal government's climate policies, saying there was no reason to allow the country's borders to open up and let people in while also funding foreign countries to combat climate change.
She suggested billions or even trillions of dollars were being spent simply because some countries "don't like the climate change."
You can hear what Greene said in the video below.
\u201cGreene: People are not affecting climate change. You\u2019re going to tell me that back in The Ice Age, how much taxes did people pay and how many changes did governments make to melt the ice?\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1682561976
Greene said:
“People are not affecting climate change."
"You’re not going to tell me that back in the ice age, how much taxes did people pay, and how many changes did governments make to melt the ice?"
"The climate is going to continue to change.”
“And there is no reason to just open up our borders and allow everyone in and continue to funnel over $50 billion or however many billions of dollars or trillions of dollars to foreign countries all over the world simply because they don’t like the climate change.”
Greene's claims run counter to the scientific consensus stating human beings are largely responsible for anthropogenic climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels—like coal, oil and natural gas—which produces heat-trapping gases.
Footage of her remarks went viral.
\u201cMarjorie Taylor Greene tried explaining away Climate Change by arguing that no one paid taxes during the Ice Age:\n\nLet me break this down a little bit for you:\n\n- The last ice age began approximately 2.6 million years ago and peaked approximately 20,000 years ago. \n- At its\u2026\u201d— Brian Krassenstein (@Brian Krassenstein) 1682618156
Her remarks have been met with criticism and disbelief.
Many environmental advocates accused her of disregarding scientific evidence and taking a dangerous stance on climate policy.
\u201cSounds like college didn't teach her much. The moment you realize why some should not be allowed in office. \u2066@GaRepublicans\u2069 https://t.co/Dq4H2LAFNu\u201d— MVG Properties (@MVG Properties) 1682701211
\u201cMarjorie Taylor Greene: "People are not affecting climate change. You\u2019re going to tell me that back in The Ice Age, how much taxes did people pay and how many changes did governments make to melt the ice?"\n\nWe need an IQ requirement for members of Congress.\n#ProudBlue\u201d— LA Blue Dot in GA \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc94 (@LA Blue Dot in GA \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc94) 1682613066
\u201cI'll be going to bed now. It is not wise for me to smack my damn head that hard at my advanced age. https://t.co/BiTKTHBbRu\u201d— Charles P. Pierce (@Charles P. Pierce) 1682631756
\u201cThere is absolutely zero help for this kind of stupidity!\nExcept to vote her out. And create some kind of qualification test in the future to filter out such idiots! JESUS!\n\nMarjorie Taylor Greene: No one raised taxes to melt the glaciers in the ice age https://t.co/BI0jqkIBRv\u201d— TearsInTheRain (@TearsInTheRain) 1682647767
\u201cWTF is @RepMTG talking about? Does she even listen to what's coming out of her mouth? Yes, climate change happens naturally, but once the Industrial Age started people began to affect the climate. There's 8 billion people now, polluting and consuming. \n\nhttps://t.co/uyzzh3aE54\u201d— LittleS (@LittleS) 1682697472
\u201cMarjorie Taylor Greene claims the lack of tax raises during ice age proves climate change is a hoax So ignorant on so many levels.Does MTG care at all that she seems stupid, ugly, unkind, ignorant, only self-serving?\u201d— Deborah Merchant (@Deborah Merchant) 1682719860
\u201cUnlike MTG, millions of scientists studying the climate have long agreed that people directly impact global carbon emissions and related temperature increases worldwide. NASA reported that 97% of \u201cactively publishing climate scientists\u201d agree.\n\nShe\u2019s nutty https://t.co/sNE36wwSNn\u201d— Tom Hayes (@Tom Hayes) 1682702753
This isn't the first time Greene has made an oddball remark drawing a connection between taxes, climate change and the last ice age.
During a town hall in Murray County, Georgia in 2021, Greene questioned "how much money" people spent during the ice age "to warm up the earth." Greene denied the realities of anthropogenic climate change, stressing instead that humans "live on a ball that rotates around the sun, that flies through the universe, and maybe our climate just changes.”
She subsequently took an opportunity to attack New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for introducing the Green New Deal framework, saying that stopping the use of coal and oil "would make sense" to Ocasio-Cortez because she is "from New York," a city she has derided as being full of "coastal elites" with little knowledge of "real America."
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