In May, The Economist dubbed Barton the James Inhofe of the House. Both are outspoken skeptics and ranking members on their chamber’s environment committees. Barton, like Inhofe, is also one of the few Republican lawmakers to devote a policy page on his Web site specifically to why climate change is not man-made. While he acknowledges that the planet is warming, it "appears well within the range of natural variation," he writes.
During a March hearing on adapting to climate change, Barton said: "Nature doesn't seem to adjust to people, as much as people seem to adjust to nature." In 2005, Barton sent letters to three scientists at the University of Virginia, the University of Massachusetts and the University of Arizona, accusing them of "methodological flaws and data errors" in their global warming studies. Bestowed with the nickname of "Smokey Joe" for his support of big industry, Barton has received more than $1.4 million from the oil and gas sectors.
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