Donald Trump, who once tweeted that global warming was a concept “created by and for the Chinese” appears to be having a change of heart. Photo: Wikipedia Commons
After publicly denying that climate change is real throughout the election, Trump’s cabinet picks are surprising. Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, stated that climate change is not a hoax and that humans are involved. Trump’s Department of Interior pick, Rep. Ryan Zinke, said the same under sworn testimony before congress. What does this mean for efforts to fight climate change in Trump’s America? We’re about to find out.
Trump is a famous climate change denier. He once said that the hottest day was in “1890-something.” He’s back and forth about whether it’s science or a scheme invented to stagnate the economy. It’s “very complex,” he once said. Sure it is. With comments like these, many are on edge as he takes office. Scientists, environmentalists, and the concerned general public have been monitoring Trump’s transition team closely for clues as to who will fill the cabinet positions that most impact the environment. And just like the election, expect the unexpected. And it looks as though Trump has nominated two climate change believers.
That’s right, when testifying before congress two key picks broke with Trump and admitted climate change is real…sort of. Over the last two days, Trump’s picks to lead the EPA and Department of Interior told congress that data suggests the earth is warming. When you consider the power over the environment these two individuals, if confirmed, will have, things seem to have taken a surprising turn. The Department of the Interior, the agency Zinke will likely lead, manages national parks, BLM wilderness areas, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and basically all natural resources owned by the federal government. The EPA, Pruitt’s post, enforces environmental regulations and manages complex environmental problems impacting human health. Basically, American nature and the wilderness places we love so dearly are in these leaders’ hands. So what do their words mean?
First off, we don’t know if either of these leaders will do anything to curb climate change. They just said it’s probably real. Which, for scientists, is like the new sheriff admitting that they think crime is real. What are they gonna do about it? No one knows. The conversation is pretty basic at this point. Some are troubled by the fact that both hesitated to admit the extent to which climate change is caused by humans. In other words, they acknowledged the climate is warming, but they don’t know to what degree humans should be held responsible for this. The devil is in the details on this one.
Even more, we still don’t know what stance Trump will take once elected. Including, whether or not he’ll honor international consensus to curb climate change as represented by the UN Paris Agreement ratified last year. In spite of these pleasant surprises, the future of the environment under Trump is quite uncertain.
