Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Libertarian presidential candidate and former governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson called for space colonization as an answer for global warming by saying, “the fact that we do have to inhabit other planets. I mean the future of the human race is of — is space exploration.”
Partial transcript as follows:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask you one final question, you’ve said you’re for free markets and you’re against government regulation. And this — and this week, a — a comment circulated that you made in 2011, where you said we have to think about climate change as a long-term issue. And here’s what you said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSON: I think that we should. And the long-term view is, is that in billions of years, the sun is going to actually grow and encompass the Earth, right? So global warming is in our — in our future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHANOPOULOS: So that’s you. Does that mean we don’t do anything about it now?
JOHNSON: No, George. Come on. Can’t — can’t we have a little humor once in a while? And that is long-term. I mean the plate tectonics, at one point, Africa and South America separated and I am talking now about the Earth and the fact that we have existed for billions of years and will going forward. Look, what it points to, also, is the fact that we do have to inhabit other planets. I mean the future of the human race is of — is space exploration. So, no, we should be prudent with the environment. We care about the environment. Look, clean air, clean water. I think the EPA exists to protect us against individuals, groups, corporations that would do us harm. Pollution is harm.
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