As arctic ice levels hit another epic low and we come near to the end hottest year on record, Reince Priebus ensures us that Trump’s official stance on climate change is that it does not exist. Nope, it’s not man made nor of any concern to his administration.
Priebus appeared on the latest Fox News Sunday to explain Trump’s apparent “major flips on policy this week in an interview with the New York Times,” as host Chris Wallace put it — including the apostasy of possibly having “an open mind” about “pulling out of the Paris climate agreement.”
Trump is appointing countless climate science deniers to key positions, which tells you vastly more about what he believes and what he’ll do than his latest semi-coherent ramblings. As I wrote last week, Trump’s repetition of the phrase “open mind” during his Times interview was meant to distract from his constant repetition of long-debunked denier talking points (and it worked).
Priebus confirmed Trump wasn’t being forthright with the Times, telling Wallace, “As far as this issue on climate change — the only thing he [Trump] was saying after being asked a few questions about it is, look, he’ll have an open mind about it but he has his default position, which most of it is a bunch of bunk, but he’ll have an open mind and listen to people.”
Think Progress
Climate change is a “bunch of bunk”. You know, all those scientists that agree are just full of shit. And since Trump intends to cut funding to Nasa’s climate research because it’s become too “politicized” we can be assured with that, what good will him having an open mind do?
Bob Walker, a senior Trump campaign adviser, said there was no need for Nasa to do what he has previously described as “politically correct environmental monitoring”.
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Walker, however, claimed that doubt over the role of human activity in climate change “is a view shared by half the climatologists in the world. We need good science to tell us what the reality is and science could do that if politicians didn’t interfere with it.”
The Guardian
Of course this is one of the most politicized decisions an administration could make, first by lying about the number of climatologists that support the supposition that climate change is man made and secondly, but cutting funding because of the administrations staunch belief that it is not real. This gives them a clear path to continue back peddling on climate treaties and on moving away from our country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The obvious conflicts of interest from Trump’s international businesses are one of many concerns, but just think about the environmental impact of his business decisions that will also affect communities around the world? Move those wind turbines, they’re a visual blight! LET ME BUILD MY HOTEL ON THIS WETLAND!
The environmental consequences of a Trump presidency is unprecedented at a time when we can least afford such a antiscience, pro-fossil fuel narcissist in one of the most powerful positions in the world.
Environmentalists must not only be vigilant, but we must push back even harder. We must be louder than their lies and their doubt. So much depends on it.
We must tell every representative that backs this cut in funding they will be voted out, that supports this anti-scientific stance that they will be replaced. WE must tell them that we won’t stand for it.