Scott Pruitt
Scott Pruitt

Hey EPA chief, Scott Pruitt! The good guys won the “debate” on whether humans contribute to global warming, which is not exactly “hot news.”

In 2014, the US National Academy of Sciences and UK’s Royal Society issued a report called “Climate Change: Evidence and Causes,” which stated: “Scientists know that recent climate change is largely caused by human activities from an understanding of basic physics, comparing observations with models and fingerprinting the detailed patterns of climate change caused by different human and natural influences.”

And how about: “All major climate changes, including natural ones, are disruptive. Past climate changes led to extinction of many species, population migrations, and pronounced changes in the land surface and ocean circulation. The speed of the current climate change is faster than most of the past events, making it more difficult for human societies and the natural world to adapt.”

Wait, there’s more: “Earth’s lower atmosphere is becoming warmer and moister as a result of human-emitted greenhouse gases. This gives the potential for more energy for storms and certain severe weather events. Consistent with theoretical expectations, heavy rainfalls and snowfall events (which increase flooding) and heatwaves are generally becoming more frequent."

Let's shift to EPA fantasyland, in which the emaciated federal environmental watchdog ignores science and spreads misinformation about the jury being out on global warming.

On March 27, EPA’s public affairs shop distributed eight “talking points” for guidance on global warming. Its purpose was to have its communicators spread a consistent message. A consistent but flat out wrong message.

Among talking point gems:

  • Human activity impacts our changing climate in some manner. The ability to measure with precision the degree and extent of that impact, and what to do about it, are subject to continuing debate and dialogue.
  • While there has been extensive research and a host of published reports on climate change, clear gaps remain including our understanding of the role of human activity and what we can do about it.
New Yorker

And the whopper: “Administrator Pruitt encourages an open, transparent debate on climate science.”

The April 2 New Yorker profiles Pruitt as a man on a mission to please Donald Trump, who, of course, says climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese to Keep America from Becoming Great Again.

In the short-term, Pruitt, who was Attorney General of Oklahoma, is keeping on Trump’s good guy list in the hope of succeeding Jeff Sessions, once he is bounced from the AG job.

TNY reports Pruitt’s longer-term goal is to succeed Trump as president in 2024.

God help both us and Mother Earth.