Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
Rick Perry, the guy in charge of America's nuclear stockpile and Dancing with the Stars alum, doesn't seem to think that fossil fuels are linked to climate change. He does, however, believe they could somehow be used as a force for good to help prevent sexual assault.According to the Hill, the energy secretary floated the bizarre idea on Thursday during a sit-down on Meet the Press, where he was discussing energy policy. After arguing that ramping up fossil fuel production could save lives in Africa, Perry made a leap into the ongoing cultural conversation surrounding sexual assault."But also from the standpoint of sexual assault," he 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 affect that."
Advertisement
Perry seemed to waver between literal and metaphorical territory there, suggesting both having the lights on and shedding light on sexual assault could help prevent it. Any way you cut it, though, fossil fuels and electricity don't really seem to be much of a factor in the daily onslaught of allegations regarding sexual assault and harassment.It's not the first time Perry's demonstrated a shaky grasp on energy in general, the duties of his new job, or basic concepts like supply and demand. While we may never know where Perry came up with his connection between fossil fuels and sexual assault, he's prone to being easily duped into believing other ridiculous concepts, like a miraculous new fuel innovation made of booze and pig poop.Follow Drew Schwartz on Twitter.