In a debate with his bold progressive opponent Carol Shea-Porter on Friday, Republican congressman Frank Guinta (NH) had a novel solution to global warming: drill for more dirty fuels:

MODERATOR: Are you concerned about greenhouse gases and climate change? If so, what specific action would you take to stem greenhouse gas use. If not, do you feel you’re gambling with our future? […]

GUINTA: One of the bills that I authored and co-sponsored was an “all of the above energy policy.” I think with 19 million barrels of oil that we use today in America, and with seven million production I think we can both increase exploration and production and we can reduce usage through smart conservation programs. […] I think you can have greater exploration of fossil fuels and natural gas.

Watch it (the relevant comments begin about a minute in):

Other than a token reference to conservation, Guinta doesn’t seem to have any solution other than to increase oil drilling.

Needless to say, drilling for more oil isn’t going to resolve our environmental problems. But it is a way for Guinta to fund-raise from the dirty fuels industry. He’s gotten $5,000 each from the Political Action Committees of Koch Industries and Exxon Mobil. He not only wants to give the industry expanded drilling, but he also supports $7 billion in oil subsidies every year.

In the past, Guinta actually has gone even further than most of his Republican colleagues in brandishing his anti-environmental stands on behalf of the oil industry. He once called for abolishing the Environmental Protection Agency altogether.

We don’t need any more lackeys for Big Oil in Congress. Click here to sign up to make calls for Guinta’s opponent, Carol Shea-Porter.