Pruitt surprises
Re the Miami Herald’s March 10 article “EPA chief doubts consensus view of climate change.” EPA administrator Scott Pruitt has informed us that carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping gas produced by the burning of fossil fuels, are not primary contributors to global warming.
He told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that there is tremendous disagreement relative to both the measurement precision of this pollutant as well as its impact on global warming.
I was surprised to find out that Pruitt is a renowned “climatologist.”
His revelation is akin to finding out that cigarette smoking has no relationship to cancer; that excessive consumption of alcohol is completely unrelated to diseases of the liver; and plastic bottles decompose in a matter of days in land fills.
Pruitt’s conclusion not only is not consistent with overwhelming research by distinguished scientists on climate change, but also is counter to the EPA’s obligation to regulate carbon dioxide output, an obligation that carries with it the authority of federal law.
Charles E. Hannemann,
Palmetto Bay
This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 2:40 AM with the headline "Pruitt surprises."