Rick Perry believes fossil fuels can prevent sexual assault
Energy Secretary Rick Perry believes that the science is still out on climate change — and that fossil fuels can prevent sexual assault.
The former Texas governor was addressing the future of the energy sector on Thursday during a policy discussion run by Axios and NBC when he claimed that expanding fossil fuel exports would play a “positive role.”
As he spoke about bringing electricity to remote African villages, Perry linked his desire to use fossil fuels to the prevention of sexual assault.
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“But also from the standpoint of sexual assault,” Perry said. “When the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will on those types of acts.
“So from the standpoint of how you really affect people’s lives, fossil fuels is going to play a role in that,” he added.
Perry told Axios CEO and cofounder Jim VandeHei and NBC’s Chuck Todd that he thinks climate change is real and that humans do “have an impact on it,” but added that he “still think(s) the science is out on” how much of a role people play.
