Today my thoughts have been about the following article from the Washington Post :
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/09/trump-transition-team-for-energy-department-seeks-names-of-employees-involved-in-climate-meetings/?utm_term=.47789590e484
I'm certainly no expert but it seems to me that the vast majority of scientists agree that human activity is having an effect on the worlds climate. In all of my reading I very seldom run into articles where scientists disagree with the climate change theory.
The information I'm seeing indicates a world population of around 7.5 billion people this year. The population of the United States is in 300 million range. That is 4 percent of the entire world's population. We consume somewhere between 20 and 25 percent of the worlds oil reserves. This is an astounding number. I certainly don't know how long the worlds resources will last but can we all agree that with a population of 7.5 billion (and projected to grow to 10 billion in the next 40+ years) that we all have a vital interest in protecting our environment?
To that end the United States Environmental Protection Agency is the government arm that is to help us in this aim. While I may not be around in 40 years, I certainly want our future generations to enjoy all the beautiful bounties of this life on earth.
President-elect Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt, the former Attorney General from Oklahoma to head up this agency. It's been well publicized that Mr. Pruitt has been a vocal denier of climate change. He has even sued the EPA over regulations pertaining to power plants is what I understand. Is it just me or does this appointment just defy logic?
Don't get me wrong, I do not like the fact that the Obama administration used executive orders to institute many of their policies. That is not good government. So I certainly get the frustration of the republicans over these issues. But why appoint someone who seems to be at odds with the mission of the agency he will have to oversee?
The other troubling fact for me in this article is the questionaire that the Trump team is requesting of the current EPA. The article suggests that the Trump team is asking for an alarming amount of information pertaining to individual citizens who work in this realm. Given Trumps history of badgering individual citizens over issues where he doesn't agree, it's alarming that many in our scientific community are having to worry. Scientific advancements are not made in this world by always just agreeing with the current thoughts. For pete's sake people, everyone used to think the world was flat.
The Trump administration owes the citizens of this country a clear outline of their plans with regards to our environment. Not to mention owning up to our responsibility to the rest of the world since we are one of the biggest fossil fuel consumers. We all need to stand up for the scientists in our country. They should not be made to worry about pursuing information that will help all of us in the future. Let's encourage our lawmakers to avoid making a potentially fatal error for all of us by not pursuing a goal of preserving our environment for our children.
I read this article and it scared the bejesus out of me. He's taking names of all who do, or might, disagree with his world view. That isn't the way we operate here in America. I wasn't sleeping well after the election anyway...he's putting me over the edge now. Where are the moderate Republicans? Where is anyone with the you-know-whats to stand up to this man?
ReplyDelete