Wheeler EPA Hearing - Lies, Boilerplate, Lies, I Love Hiking, Lies, Bullshit, More Bullshit

[hatrack]

Senate Democrats used the Wednesday confirmation hearing of Andrew Wheeler, the acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to push him on the agency’s negligence on climate change, its rollback of regulations designed to protect Americans’ health, and his uncannily close ties to the fossil fuel industry.

“Do you agree with the scientific community that climate change is a global crisis?” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) asked Wheeler repeatedly. “I would not call it the greatest crisis, no, sir,” Wheeler responded. “I consider it to be an issue that has to be addressed globally.” “Substantively, I think you have your thumb, wrist, forearm, and elbow on the scale,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) told Wheeler, referring to Wheeler’s past work as a coal lobbyist. Some Republicans raised concerns about climate change as well.

EDIT

Before his work as a coal lobbyist, Wheeler was a staffer at the EPA and on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He was also an Eagle Scout and emphasized his love of hiking and camping. “I do consider myself a conservationist,” he said. Unlike Pruitt, Wheeler did acknowledge that humans are driving changes in the climate and that it must be addressed. When Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) asked Wheeler how he rated climate change in importance on a scale of 1 to 10, Wheeler said it was “8 or 9.”

Yet global emissions continue to rise, and scientists recently warned that we’re running out of time to accelerate the global effort to limit warming to a less disastrous level. Instead of joining this effort, the EPA is working to relax rules on emissions. And given that Wheeler answers to President Trump, who has dismissed climate change as a concern, it’s unlikely we’ll see any radical changes at the EPA anytime soon. The Senate is expected to confirm Wheeler soon as the new head of the agency in a vote.

EDIT

https://www.vox.com/2019/1/16/18185306/andrew-wheeler-epa-confirmation-senate

[d_r]

1. the shame is

A coal industry guy as head of EPA would be an improvement over Scott Pruitt. That's how far we've sunk folks.