Written by Marcia G. Yerman

School is in session, Congress is back from August recess, and several states in our country have been battered by high category hurricanes. The head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, doesn’t think now is the time to discuss climate change. As a barrage of new issues take center stage, here are some important items that you might have missed from over the summer:

• The EPA will lose 500 members of its staff by October. This will leave the department with the lowest number of employees since Ronald Reagan was in office.
• John Konkus, a Republican who worked on the Trump campaign, has been appointed to make decisions on grant giving for the EPA, politicizing the post.
• A lawsuit against the EPA and Scott Pruitt for delaying the rule to reduce emissions of smog-causing air pollutants was brought by 16 state attorneys general. New York State A.G. Eric Schneiderman was the lead on the case. He pointed to the potential increase in asthma attacks in children.
• 30 year EPA employee, Elizabeth Southerland, publically resigned, making a point to call out Trump and Pruitt on their shift to supporting a deregulatory stance. Qualifying her letter as her “civic duty to explain the impact of this administration’s policies on public health and safety,” Southerland also stated: “Today the environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth.”
• Jim Bridenstine, a Republican Congressman from Oklahoma and a climate denier, has been nominated by Trump to run NASA.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) verified 2016 as the earth’s warmest year on record. The “State of the Climate” report, an annual comprehensive review of the earth’s climate, also stated that greenhouse gases, global sea level, and sea-surface temperatures were the highest on record.
• In August, while discussing his Infrastructure Executive Order, Trump noted that he would be reversing regulations put forth by Obama in the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. That standard established climate change and sea level rise concerns as an integral part of construction planning.
• A 6-year ban on the sale of disposable bottled water in national parks was quashed. Note: The Deputy Interior Secretary, David Bernhardt, was previously a lobbyist with a law practice that represents Nestlé, the distributor of Deer Park water.
• Thirty senators pushed back against the move by Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke to reopening the Interior Department’s 2017-2022 plan for offshore drilling plan, finalized in 2016. That plan protected the Arctic Ocean and both Pacific and Atlantic coasts from drilling. Over one million public comments were submitted in favor of the protections.
• Sam Clovis was nominated by Trump to be the chief scientist of the Department of Agriculture. The job includes running the $3 billion research budget. Clovis is not a scientist. He doesn’t believe humans are driving climate change, and called what he’s heard on the topic “junk science.” Previously, he worked on the Trump Campaign in Iowa and was a Conservative talk show host.
• An August Pew Research Poll, taking a global survey of the perceived top 8 security threats by country, found that “global climate change” at 61 percent was considered the second largest potential threat. “ISIS” at 62 percent, came in first.
• Zinke is putting proposals in place that would drop the stringent protections currently covering 4 national monuments, and make them available to mining and drilling. The Bears Ears National Monument is in danger of having its boundaries diminished. It is home to important cultural sites of 5 Native American nations.

TELL CONGRESS: NOBODY VOTED TO MAKE AMERICA DIRTY AGAIN

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EPA plays a critical role when natural disasters strike. Congress should oppose dangerous Trump’s budget cuts.

Written by Moms Clean Air Force

TELL CONGRESS: NOBODY VOTED TO MAKE AMERICA DIRTY AGAIN

Editor’s note: This post was updated Sept. 10, 2017

After the second catastrophic storm hit mainland United States in a single season, the first time ever we had two Category 4 hurricanes in a row, there are three priorities.

First, help the victims. Second, deal with the aftermath of damage and pollution. Third, do whatever we can to prepare for the future.

Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is failing at two-and-a-half of those priorities.

The EPA plays a major role during disasters and agency staff has been on the scene in Houston. There have been complaints about the agency’s response – EPA headquarters has at times appeared more interested in attacking reporters than dealing with the problems – but at least they’re there.

But even as the EPA’s career professionals work in Texas, the political leadership is pushing Congress for devastating cuts that will severely reduce the agency’s ability to help next time. As my colleague Elgie Holstein points out, cuts to air quality monitoring, toxic waste cleanup and water programs will undercut the agency’s capabilities.

Which brings us to next time.

We’ve always had hurricanes, but climate change is making them stronger. Warmer oceans add energy to storms, increasing wind speed and destructive power. A hotter atmosphere in these conditions means more rain and flooding.

And as yet another catastrophic storm is about to hit continental U.S., Pruitt and allies such as Rush Limbaugh are doing everything they can to deny this link and confuse the public.

In the midst of a moment when these storms could help inform the public debate about climate change, Pruitt says it’s “insensitive” to discuss the issue. As if raising one of the contributing causes to this catastrophe will somehow prevent first responders from doing their jobs.

The fact is, it’s insensitive to deny climate reality right when people are being so badly hurt by the impacts of it. It’s like telling people to shut up about germs during a flu epidemic.

Being sensitive is not really what this is about. Pruitt wants to avoid this conversation because the facts are against him. He has a long history trying to deny established climate reality – from his claim that carbon dioxide was not a “primary driver” of warming despite what the scientists at NASA and his own agency say, to his idea for a “red team-blue team” exercise to debate the science.

That reality show-style effort is designed to give a platform to fringe voices who deny what all major American scientific organizations know: Pollution is driving dangerous changes to our climate. As Christine Todd Whitman, EPA chief under President George W. Bush, wrote this week, the exercise is a “a shameful attempt to confuse the public.” 

Rush Limbaugh, for his part, sees a political plot in the talk of stronger hurricanes. He told his listeners “there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic.”

He was essentially accusing scientists of reporting disturbing facts so that we as a nation might do something to reduce the threat. Exactly our point, Rush.

As the hurricane turned north, he warned his listeners not to succumbed to the temptation to think “man, there might be something to this climate change.” He then announced his South Florida-based radio show would be off the air for a few days so he could evacuate.

Behind all of this is an effort to intimidate us from talking about the reality of climate change by using the victims of these storms as cover. Of course no one should be distracted from helping those affected. They are going through an incredibly difficult time and need our help.

When I was a child in New Jersey, our house was flooded after a hurricane. When we returned from sleeping on the floor of a church, we found that everything we owned had been ruined – so I have some small idea of the difficulty and disruption.

Nothing should get in the way of helping families and communities recover in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, the Caribbean and beyond.

But we also owe these victims – and all Americans – a serious conversation about solutions. No one would say it is “insensitive” to discuss the causes of war or famine or disease, so that we can reduce future harm.

It’s time to do the same with the threat of climate change.

See comments

Pruitt is not man enough to admit he is wrong. He will deny until his last dying breath. We cannot afford to waste anymore time. Pruitt's word means nothing; he is not a scientist, he is a fool.

"But we also owe these victims – and all Americans – a serious conversation about solutions. No one would say it is “insensitive” to discuss the causes of war or famine or disease, so that we can reduce future harm.

It’s time to do the same with the threat of climate change."

I'll be blunt. The first threat we need to deal with is the intention of people like Scott Pruitt to do harm to the public on behalf of corrupt interests, and their ability to carry out their intentions. Controlling the threat starts with getting rid of them by any legal means available. He needs to be a constant target of investigations that will result in his removal. And if Congress and the DOJ won't do it, the press and decent citizens need to.

We the People basically no longer count. I live in Florida and own two houses. We've been through two hurricanes in two years and yet they keep denying what is as plain as the nose on their face. The water is warmer so the Gulf Stream does not catch the storm and head it back out to sea like it did for many years. None of the problems can be fixed until there is an admission all of that problem.

Now the problem is bigger than climate change, it is a president who people in positions of power who know nothing about what they're supposed to be doing in that position.

I believe it is insensitive to ignore what has happened in this country the last 6 weeks. We've had two category 4 hurricanes, one hit a major city the other a whole state. There have been wildfires in the Northwest and West. We cannot just close our eyes and deny because we don't see it. The common people who can't jump on a plane with the president to Camp.

We have to have a government that is concerned enough to deal with this. But that would take admission we don't know everything about everything. After Katrina, the Dutch, I believe, offered to come help develop a better water protection program for New Orleans and Bush said no thanks, we know what we're doing. No, we don't know everything. Where are the adults in our government anymore?

By Scott Weaver

Hurricane Irma continued to wreak havoc in the Caribbean Sept. 8 en route to Miami as a mass evacuation continued into the weekend.

(This post originally appeared on EDF Voices)

I’m watching with concern and awe at the power of Hurricane Irma as it continues to batter the Caribbean with 150 mph winds. If it hits Florida as a category 4 or 5 hurricane as forecast, it will be the first time that two hurricanes of such a magnitude have made landfall in continental United States during a single hurricane season.

This, in and of itself, is astonishing – but Irma also happens to be a storm unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

It’s as if Earth is running a controlled scientific experiment to isolate the relationship between warming of the Atlantic Ocean temperatures and hurricane intensity – with the goal of showing us, with terrifying detail, what happens when rising global temperatures fuel powerful storms.

Warm ocean water drove this storm

Hurricanes thrive on two things: Low wind shear and warm ocean temperatures. Wind shear is a rapid change in wind speed and direction, which keeps hurricanes from gaining strength, and Irma has encountered virtually none.

This hurricane, in other words, formed and moved through an area of extremely warm ocean temperatures with nothing to slow her down.

What can that tell us about the future Atlantic hurricanes?

The current state of the science suggests that, on average, uncertainties in the direction of future wind shear may not cause more hurricanes to occur, but models suggest that the intensity of storms will continue to increase as the Atlantic Ocean gets warmer.

Irma strongest Atlantic hurricane in history

As a pragmatic climate scientist and former NOAA research meteorologist, it’s my job to take all factors into account when considering the link between weather extremes and climate change.

While there are several natural and human-caused factors to consider in a given extreme event, I am nevertheless struck by the fact that we are witnessing the impacts of the strongest hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean since record keeping began.

It is not just that Irma achieved such an ominous milestone, but the length of time that it has maintained this incredible strength – longer than any other storm of its magnitude. It has all the signs of a record-breaking hurricane, and this is worrisome.

I called an old friend in Fort Lauderdale yesterday to see how he was doing. He asked me, “What should I do?” My response: “Finish preparing for the storm and then get out as fast as you can.”

By Scott Weaver

Hurricane Irma continued to wreak havoc in the Caribbean Sept. 8 en route to Miami as a mass evacuation continued into the weekend.

(This post originally appeared on EDF Voices)

I’m watching with concern and awe at the power of Hurricane Irma as it continues to batter the Caribbean with 150 mph winds. If it hits Florida as a category 4 or 5 hurricane as forecast, it will be the first time that two hurricanes of such a magnitude have made landfall in continental United States during a single hurricane season.

This, in and of itself, is astonishing – but Irma also happens to be a storm unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

It’s as if Earth is running a controlled scientific experiment to isolate the relationship between warming of the Atlantic Ocean temperatures and hurricane intensity – with the goal of showing us, with terrifying detail, what happens when rising global temperatures fuel powerful storms.

Warm ocean water drove this storm

Hurricanes thrive on two things: Low wind shear and warm ocean temperatures. Wind shear is a rapid change in wind speed and direction, which keeps hurricanes from gaining strength, and Irma has encountered virtually none.

This hurricane, in other words, formed and moved through an area of extremely warm ocean temperatures with nothing to slow her down.

What can that tell us about the future Atlantic hurricanes?

The current state of the science suggests that, on average, uncertainties in the direction of future wind shear may not cause more hurricanes to occur, but models suggest that the intensity of storms will continue to increase as the Atlantic Ocean gets warmer.

Irma strongest Atlantic hurricane in history

As a pragmatic climate scientist and former NOAA research meteorologist, it’s my job to take all factors into account when considering the link between weather extremes and climate change.

While there are several natural and human-caused factors to consider in a given extreme event, I am nevertheless struck by the fact that we are witnessing the impacts of the strongest hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean since record keeping began.

It is not just that Irma achieved such an ominous milestone, but the length of time that it has maintained this incredible strength – longer than any other storm of its magnitude. It has all the signs of a record-breaking hurricane, and this is worrisome.

I called an old friend in Fort Lauderdale yesterday to see how he was doing. He asked me, “What should I do?” My response: “Finish preparing for the storm and then get out as fast as you can.”