By CHAT News Today

MLA Drew Barnes facing criticism for donating to controversial documentary

Mar 24, 2017 | 6:11 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Cypress Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes is defending himself after being called out on social media for supporting a documentary questioning the science behind climate change.

Thursday, Progress Alberta retweeted a thank-you note directed at Barnes, criticizing the MLA for supporting a proposed documentary called ‘The Environment: A True Story.’

Some have expressed concern Barnes is supporting a project they believe is trying to deny climate change, But Barnes says that’s not the case.

“I’m an absolute believer in climate change, I’m an absolute believer that man has an impact on it,” said Barnes.

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In an interview Filmmaker John Robson said he plans to look deeper into his beliefs that people are not the problem when it comes to climate change, that CO2 emissions are not causing the temperature to rise and that it’s just a natural cycle.

Robson said he will be consulting and interviewing several people who share his belief that the current rhetoric on climate change is based on false information and ‘bad science’.

Barnes said after meeting the filmmaker at a recent conference he made a small donation to help fund the documentary.

“I think it’s important to keep looking at information, to keep looking at what scientists are saying and to see what’s actually happening in the climate change world,” he said.

Maria Fitzpatrick, MLA for Lethbridge East said she wants to see Barnes withdraw his financial support from the project.

She said the NDP governments policies surrounding climate change are the reason the federal government approved pipeline projects in Alberta including the Enbridge Line 3 expansion and the Kinder Morgan expansion.

“It’s flying in the face of what we’ve accomplished and I don’t want to see things being backed up because he’s supporting something that, in fact, I don’t believe is being supported by science,” said Fitzpatrick.

Barnes said he will not pull his funding. Instead, if the final film is not presented in what he believes is a fair, open and transparent way, he will not support any future projects.