This is not a satire...

The Barbarian

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Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert asked whether the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management could alter either the moon’s or Earth’s orbits in order to affect the world’s climate.

Gohmert’s question was posed during a Tuesday hearing before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands as members considered four bills to amend recreation permitting and other laws affecting the Interior and Agriculture departments.

“I understand from what’s been testified to [by] the Forest Service and the [Bureau of Land Management], you want very much to work on the issue of climate change,” Gohmert said, addressing witness Jennifer Eberlein, who is the associate deputy chief for the National Forest System.

“I was informed by the immediate past director of NASA that they have found that the moon’s orbit is changing slightly, and so is the Earth’s orbit around the sun. We know there’s been significant solar flare activity,” He added before asking, “Is there anything that the national Forest Service or the BLM can do to change the course of the moon’s orbit or the Earth’s orbit around the sun?”

“Obviously, they would have profound effects on our climate,” Gohmert said.

“I would have to follow up with you on that, Mr. Gohmert,” Eberlein responded.

“Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, I’d like to know,” said Gohmert
Gohmert asks Forest Service official if US can alter Earth's orbit to affect climate


Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., offered his own solution to Gohmert on Twitter Wednesday, suggesting that Marvel Comics' character Captain Marvel could handle the job.
 

Strathos

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Well technically it could be possible. It would require at least hundreds of years, quadrillions of dollars, and many significant advances in space-based technology, but it could be done.

Of course at that point it would probably be cheaper and easier to just terraform Mars or Venus.
 
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Mark Quayle

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The moon affects the tides. The ocean levels' rising could demolish coastal cities--and anything that messes around with the tides, even if it were possible, could spell disaster.

Why doesn't he think things through?
Hard to believe he could have been serious...
 
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The Barbarian

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Hard to believe he could have been serious...

This is Louie Gohmert; it's far from the craziest thing he's said. It's not just this, it's a lot of stuff.

BTW, the mass of the Earth is something like 5.9722 × 1024 kg. Since force needed to accelerate an object is equal to the mass in kilograms times the acceleration in meters/second/second, we can calculate the force needed, and the Joules of energy required. To move it one meter would then require 5.9722 × 1024 Joules.

The total energy consumption of mankind last year was 5.74 × 1020 Joules. So to move it even one meter would require over ten thousand times the total energy consumption of mankind in one year. And consider this:

The Earth's distance from the sun varies about one million miles every year. When it's one million miles farther away, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. So that gives you some idea of the difficulties in adjusting the Earth's orbit to affect climate. Which is probably a good thing.

Louie Gohmert notwithstanding.
 
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The Barbarian

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Why doesn't he think things through?

Sounds kinda like injecting disinfectant, to clean the lungs, um? It's just another one who doesn't know the first thing about the issue, trying to sound like he knows what he's talking about.
 
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The Barbarian

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Altering the moon's orbit sounds like the beginning of a disaster movie.

It's happening, anyway. The moon is receding by a tiny but measurable amount each year. It's gaining energy from the Earth via tidal friction, and that means a higher orbit. The amount varies over the ages, because it's related to the amount of coastline, which changes as continents move about.
 
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HARK!

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Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert asked whether the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management could alter either the moon’s or Earth’s orbits in order to affect the world’s climate.

See: Milankovitch Cycles
 
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Mark Quayle

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This is Louie Gohmert; it's far from the craziest thing he's said. It's not just this, it's a lot of stuff.

BTW, the mass of the Earth is something like 5.9722 × 1024 kg. Since force needed to accelerate an object is equal to the mass in kilograms times the acceleration in meters/second/second, we can calculate the force needed, and the Joules of energy required. To move it one meter would then require 5.9722 × 1024 Joules.

The total energy consumption of mankind last year was 5.74 × 1020 Joules. So to move it even one meter would require over ten thousand times the total energy consumption of mankind in one year. And consider this:

The Earth's distance from the sun varies about one million miles every year. When it's one million miles farther away, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. So that gives you some idea of the difficulties in adjusting the Earth's orbit to affect climate. Which is probably a good thing.

Crazy old Louie Gohmert notwithstanding.
You don't have to convince me it is a ludicrous notion. What I'm wondering about is how could he have been serious!

But he is far from the only one with no comprehension of physics among that crowd! I'd venture to bet the majority of them have more emotion than sense. (Witness Hank Johnson, worried Guam would capsize.)
 
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The Barbarian

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You don't have to convince me it is a ludicrous notion. What I'm wondering about is how could he have been serious!

But he is far from the only one with no comprehension of physics among that crowd! I'd venture to bet the majority of them have more emotion than sense. (Witness Hank Johnson, worried Guam would capsize.)

Maybe he was in the AF. I can remember, during Operation Linebacker, people saying that if they sent another BUF to Anderson AFB, the island would capsize. My guess is that either Hank took that talk seriously, or he's got the best deadpan delivery in Congress.
 
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Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert asked whether the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management could alter either the moon’s or Earth’s orbits in order to affect the world’s climate.

Gohmert’s question was posed during a Tuesday hearing before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands as members considered four bills to amend recreation permitting and other laws affecting the Interior and Agriculture departments.

“I understand from what’s been testified to [by] the Forest Service and the [Bureau of Land Management], you want very much to work on the issue of climate change,” Gohmert said, addressing witness Jennifer Eberlein, who is the associate deputy chief for the National Forest System.

“I was informed by the immediate past director of NASA that they have found that the moon’s orbit is changing slightly, and so is the Earth’s orbit around the sun. We know there’s been significant solar flare activity,” He added before asking, “Is there anything that the national Forest Service or the BLM can do to change the course of the moon’s orbit or the Earth’s orbit around the sun?”

“Obviously, they would have profound effects on our climate,” Gohmert said.

“I would have to follow up with you on that, Mr. Gohmert,” Eberlein responded.

“Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, I’d like to know,” said Gohmert
Gohmert asks Forest Service official if US can alter Earth's orbit to affect climate


Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., offered his own solution to Gohmert on Twitter Wednesday, suggesting that Marvel Comics' character Captain Marvel could handle the job.
Dumbest thing out of Washington since injecting disinfectants.
 
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The Barbarian

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Dumbest thing out of Washington since injecting disinfectants.

Well, there is this, from Rep. Thomas Massie, who is completely in the dark about what a bachelor of arts degree means:

Massie: Secretary Kerry, I want to read part of your statement back to you: “Instead of convening a kangaroo court, the president might want to talk with the educated adults he once trusted to fill his top national security positions.” It sounds like you’re questioning the credentials of the president’s advisers currently, but I don’t think we should question your credentials today. Isn’t it true you have a science degree from Yale?

Kerry: A bachelor of arts degree.

Massie: Is it a political science degree?

Kerry: Yes, political science.

Massie: So how do you get a bachelor of arts in a science [degree]?

Kerry: Well, it’s liberal arts education and degree, it’s a bachelor.

Massie: OK, so it’s not really science. So I think it’s somewhat appropriate that someone with a pseudoscience degree is here pushing pseudoscience in front of our committee today.

Kerry: Are you serious? This is really, seriously happening here?
GOP Rep. Questions John Kerry's Credentials In Dumbest Possible Way | HuffPost


I'm guessing the days get long, sometimes, and they feel like they have to say something profound in the time they are allotted, and this is what happens in those cases.
 
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hislegacy

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Dumbest thing out of Washington since injecting disinfectants.

Especially since it didn’t happen. But hey! CNN repeated it enough times and viola! It must be true
 
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The Barbarian

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Especially since it didn’t happen. But hey! CNN repeated it enough times and viola! It must be true

Well, let's take a look...

He added: "I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that."

Dr. Birx's reaction was ... priceless.
 
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