BOSTON – As Massachusetts celebrates the 44th annual Earth Day, Republican Charlie Baker is apparently still clinging to his position of refusing to recognize climate change. Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its final report in a series of three, entitled Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. The IPCC, which has released three extensive reports that can be found here, is part of the United Nations.

In 2010, Republican Charlie Baker was quoted as saying this about climate change: “I’m not saying I believe in it. I’m not saying I don’t. You’re asking me to take a position on something I don’t know enough about. I absolutely am not smart enough to believe that I know the answer to that question.”

While the IPCC will release a synthesis report of findings in the fall, the IPCC concluded, “the effects of climate change are already occurring on all continents and across the oceans.”

“Republican Charlie Baker actually said he’s ‘absolutely not smart enough’ to know about climate change. For the guy some once called ‘the smartest man in state government,’ Republican Charlie Baker doesn’t sound so smart,” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Executive Director Matt Fenlon. “As the only gubernatorial candidate to avoid the Environmental League of Massachusetts’ public forum and by refusing to acknowledge climate change, Republican Charlie Baker is once again showing he’s running a campaign out of touch with Massachusetts voters.”

On February 11, 2010, the Boston Globe editorialized,  “Changes in climate caused by greenhouse gases are the premier environmental issue of our day, so it is surprising to see Republican candidate for governor Charlie Baker evading questions on the issue with feeble claims about not being smart enough.”