Why is Texas Gov. Rick Perry tangling with the British government? Because the UK has taken it upon itself to convert climate-change skeptics in the Lone Star state government, and Perry doesn’t like it.
According to the Guardian, the UK’s Foreign Office has been trying to “educate” Texas policymakers since 2009. Two Texas politicians, including Republican Troy Fraser, flew across the pond on the Brits’ dime for a briefing with climate scientists, and Prince Charles personally addressed Texas policymakers in a video that was screened during a conference in Austin.
Why is the UK so interested in Texas? According to an office spokesperson, “Texas was singled out as an influential state which could shift the U.S. federal position on addressing carbon emissions.”
Perry’s not thrilled with their mission. His spokesperson told the Guardian that the UK’s efforts were “misdirected” and reiterated that “man-made global warming remains but a theory.”
