EPA’s Scott Pruitt Needs to Pull His Head Out of the Sand
Scott Pruitt, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency made news during an interview on CNBC Squawk Box a few days ago when he disputed the connection between carbon dioxide and current global warming. He is wrong. Carbon dioxide has been clearly linked to global warming for well over a century. I really can’t say if he is ignorant, or blinded by his Oklahoma energy connections, or knowingly spewing propaganda, but since he is the top guardian of our environmental protection, this is a huge problem, regardless of one’s politics or economic priorities. If he pursues and applies this wrongful position it will have lasting effect on our environment for generations to come.
As my readers know, I typically stay clear of politics. In my book (High Tide On Main Street), public talks or private consulting to businesses, I purposefully avoid siding with any partisan political spectrum. I do this partly because some politicians in both major parties have spoken the truth about climate change, and at times pushed irrelevant and misleading agendas under the guise of concern for global warming. Most important however, I wanted to develop a reputation for clearly explaining the science and the need for adaptation without political bias, in order to be welcomed by and educate all audiences.
If I were a cartoonist, I might draw Mr. Pruitt, with his head in the sand, near the shore, with the sea getting closer, with storm clouds on the horizon, and perhaps a melting iceberg in the distance. Since I don’t have the artistic talent to do that, I will stick with what I can do, simply state the facts about greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2).
As explained in my blog post just a week ago, the famous scientist Alexander Graham Bell, was one of the first to use the term “greenhouse effect” to describe the effect of burning fossil fuels and how they warm the atmosphere to dangerous levels. That was in 1917, one hundred years ago. The physics was identified even earlier, in 1827, further testimony to the science being extremely basic and beyond dispute
In recent times, a number of skeptical scientists have questioned whether human caused greenhouse gases were responsible for global warming, perhaps most notably, Dr. Richard Mueller. Many in the “denier community” eagerly pointed to a thorough study being undertaken by Dr. Mueller to show the errors about the measurement and relationship of fossil fuel emissions to temperature. They were literally dumbfounded when Dr. Mueller published an OpEd in the New York Times on July 28, 2012,“The Conversion of a Climate Change Skeptic” with the following lead paragraph:
“Call me a converted skeptic. Three years ago I identified problems in previous climate studies that, in my mind, threw doubt on the very existence of global warming. Last year, following an intensive research effort involving a dozen scientists, I concluded that global warming was real and that the prior estimates of the rate of warming were correct. I’m now going a step further: Humans are almost entirely the cause.”
Dr. Muller is a highly respected and very good scientist, because he is skeptical, because he does rigorous work in a field where he is competent, and because he speaks the truth even when it disproves his hypothesis. He exemplifies that the growing majority of scientists acknowledge that CO2 emissions are the critical cause of the abnormal warming and weird weather we are experiencing.
Even Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former CEO of Exxon Mobil, acknowledged that truth in his confirmation hearing. If Mr. Pruitt is confused about his priorities, I would encourage him to look at his son and daughter and perhaps to imagine how they and any future grandchildren will remember him when the effects of climate change are far worse than now, mostly due to higher levels of greenhouse gases. If Secretary Pruitt actually pursues policies that raise the level of greenhouse gases as he has indicated, it will be his ever lasting legacy in history books, to his family, and even to his God. He publicly talks about the importance of his theology, so may want to examine the Vatican’s clear teaching on this issue. See my post from 2011, Vatican Finding On Climate Change.
As a former President once said, “Facts are stubborn things.” (John Adams)