In a statement that is causing outrage among left leaning DC politicians and some left wing media, the head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt said Thursday that he does not believe carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major cause of climate change, or what some scientists refer to as global warming. Having made the statement directly to CNBC’s Joe Kernan on the cable news outlet’s Squawk Box program, Pruitt then pointed out that measuring human activity with any degree precision is at best challenging. That said, there still exists much disagreement about the degree of CO2’s impact.
He said that as the evidence stands now, he would not agree that CO2 is the primary contributor to global warming.
Global warming debate and analysis to continue
However, according to a report by CNN, Pruitt is not ruling out CO2 as a primary culprit of global warming. But he stresses the need for continued debate, review, and analysis. It’s notable if not ironic that Pruitt who now heads the EPA, sued the same government organization several times over while the Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma. Because of those lawsuits, Pruitt was besieged with hard questions and angry comments mostly from Democrat legislators during the recent confirmation hearings in the both the house and the senate.
At that time, Pruitt admitted that science is telling us the climate is changing and that human activity impacts the change. At present, the EPA states that from 1990 to 2010, greenhouse gasses have increased more than 35%. At the same time, CO2 emissions have increased 42%.
Global warming Dems denounce Pruitt
Gina McCarthy, who was Pruitt’s predecessor at the EPA said she can’t imagine what further proof Pruitt needs in order to believe that rising CO2 emissions is exacerbating the speed and threat of global warming.
McCarthy also scorned Pruitt for his alleged plan to layoff up to 43% of existing EPA scientists while eliminating in its entirety, the US Climate Global Research Program. In light of these proposed staff and program shakeups, McCarthy expressed concern over what she foresees as a new EPA devoid of scientific data and so-called facts.
Global warming and climate change denier
CNN also stated in its report that Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz has accused Pruitt of being a climate change and Global Warming Denier and therefore, unfit to head up the EPA. The executive director of the Sierra Club, Michael Brune, who supported Hillary Clinton in the 2017 Presidential campaign, is also said to have expressed similar sentiments. In his defense, Pruitt has pushed back against his opponents by stating the EPA under his command will have many priorities, the improvement of overall clean air quality being one of them.
