Donald Trump’s choose to steer the Environmental Safety Company struggled to reply simple questions on science.
At his affirmation listening to on Thursday, former Rep. Lee Zeldin confronted scrutiny of his restricted environmental expertise. For one senator, Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, this took the type of a science pop quiz—asking, in his phrases, “actually primary no-tricks questions on local weather change.”
Whitehouse began off with a softball: “First, as a matter of legislation, is carbon dioxide a pollutant?”
“So far as carbon dioxide emitted from you throughout that query, I’d say no,” Zeldin quipped, to no laughs. “So far as carbon dioxide that’s emitted in bigger plenty, that we hear concern about from scientists, in addition to from Congress, that’s one thing that actually must be targeted on for the EPA.”
Whitehouse wasn’t happy, although. “As a matter of legislation, it’s a designated pollutant, appropriate?” he requested.
“Senator, whereas carbon dioxide shouldn’t be named as one of many six within the Clear Air Act, the EPA has been treating it as such,” Zeldin mentioned, to which Whitehouse famous that the Supreme Courtroom had, in truth, dominated in 2007 that it was a pollutant.
Query two required a brief reply relatively than a true-false.
“What impact—briefly and in layman phrases, I do know you’re not a scientific knowledgeable—what impact are carbon dioxide emissions from fossil gasoline combustion having within the ambiance?” Whitehouse requested.
Declining to reply the query head-on, Zeldin fired again that he’s “somebody who believes strongly that we must always work with the scientists, leaving the science to the scientist, the coverage to the policymakers, and that all of us work collectively.”
“I don’t sit earlier than you as a scientist,” Zeldin added. “Luckily, at EPA we do have many proficient scientists who present that analysis. They’ve that expertise to have the ability to inform us precisely what the metrics are of their analysis—”
Whitehouse lower him off and pressed for a simple reply.
“Uh, trapping—trapping warmth, senator,” Zeldin stuttered.
Whitehouse pressed Zeldin over his primary scientific information. / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP through Getty Photos
Whitehouse then requested him to call the results of “methane leakage from fossil gasoline manufacturing and transport” within the ambiance.
Zeldin’s response: “Similar.”
“What impact are carbon dioxide emissions from fossil gasoline combustion having within the oceans?” Whitehouse requested.
“Nicely, the emissions of greenhouse gases, um, lure—lure warmth, Senator,” Zeldin reiterated, including that “rising sea ranges are issues the place I’m from as effectively.”
Zeldin had restricted expertise engaged on environmental coverage as a congressman and, as he famous all through the listening to, no scientific or climate-related background.
Whitehouse continued, asking Zeldin whether or not the Earth has hit “1.5 diploma danger threshold,” including: “Why is that essential?”
Zeldin, who is expected to lift regulations defending the surroundings, demurred that he would “defer to the proficient scientists to have the ability to present that recommendation on an ongoing foundation.”
Actually, the world did hit that threshold of warming, which indicators an elevated danger of climate-related disasters, for the primary time ever in 2024.
Whitehouse requested him to call any key local weather “tipping factors.” Zeldin, stammering, couldn’t provide you with a single one. “I believe that as you set up a map of your district and your state, I might put up a map of mine and we might do that throughout the complete nation. So long as that concern exists the place there’s in truth rising sea ranges and I hear from either side of the aisle… ” Zeldin mentioned earlier than Whitehouse lower him off.
To complete off the quiz, Whitehouse requested, “are we now on a pathway to local weather security or do we have to do extra to scale back carbon emissions with a view to get on that pathway?”
Zeldin earned perhaps a couple of partial credit score factors at finest. He concluded that “we could have by no means achieved sufficient to make sure that our water and our air is clear, secure and wholesome. No matter we do day by day to realize this goal, we have to get up the following day in search of methods to do extra.”
Source link