Do you agree with this statement by the EESC chairman?

The topic of global warming and climate change isn’t one I’m super well-versed in so I want to put that out there first. Secondly, I don’t think I have read enough data to connect earthquakes directly to global warming itself. I do, however, agree that there should be solidarity in tackling climate change. There are smaller than earthquake effects that are troubling and it makes economic and environmental sense to curtail our harmful activities. His hyperbole is just like that of religious nuts who think this simply must mean Jesus is like totes here and shit.

Sounds like a politician doing the usual slimy politician dance that tries to link a natural disaster to whatever evil bugaboo is currently popular (in this case climate change/global warming) and then calling for the citizenry to look to the government to solve chase the boogie man away, typically requiring either more power or more funding going to the politician who is stirring the pot.

NEWSFLASH: Japan sits on what is known as “the ring of fire”. They have been having earthquakes and tsunamis there since the beginning of time. The only message from Mother nature goes something like: If you don’t want to deal with Tsunamis or earthquakes from time to time, perhaps you should consider building your house somewhere other than on top of one of the most geologically active spots on earth.

From my understanding, such associations between climate change and earthquakes can be made, for instance, with respect to fault-line areas presently experiencing glacial retreat, or more globally, due to a shifting balance of global mass (cryosphere, sea level rise) and its associated influence on fault lines.

See this and associated links for instance
http://www.abuhrc.org/newsmedia/Pages/event_view.aspx?event=5

But with respect to the recent event, I think it would sticking your neck out to suggest any individual event wouldn’t have occurred if it wasn’t for climate change. However, it may be reasonable to sugggest that (depending on the latest scientific evidence…which I can’t claim to be familiar with in this area) tectonic activity will likely increase with anthropogenic climate change…and therefore…

Eh – yeah, I agree with what’s been said. It might be caused by global climate change… but there needs to be sooo much more research to assert that with this sort of confidence.