Huntsman Shifts on Climate Science

Jon Huntsman has tried to stand out in the Republican presidential field by, among other things, arguing that scientists should be trusted on issues such as evolution and climate change. Huntsman also has yet to experience a surge in his standing in the race. The Washington Post and others speculate that the latter fact may explain an evolution of Huntsman's position on climate change. After earlier saying that Republicans cannot be seen as the "anti-science party," he is now questioning whether researchers have demonstrated the validity of climate change. "There are questions about the validity of the science — evidence by one university over in Scotland recently,” he said Tuesday, referring to the leaked e-mail messages that were dubbed a scandal but that several scientific inquiries have said don't change the consensus that climate change is real. Huntsman denied he was changing his position about trusting scientists, but said that “I think the onus is on the scientific community to provide more in the way of information, to help clarify the situation. That’s all."