In case you missed it, the Energy Department yesterday told Trump's people that they can pound sand over their request for "a list" (yeah) of employees who are working on climate science. It's pretty clear Trump's oil barron-heavy administration isn't looking to give climate scientists a certificate of achievement. ABC News:
"The Department of Energy received significant feedback from our workforce throughout the department, including the National Labs, following the release of the transition team’s questions. Some of the questions asked left many in our workforce unsettled," Eben Burnham-Snyder, director of public affairs at the Energy Department said. "Our career workforce, including our contractors and employees at our labs, comprise the backbone of DOE and the important work our department does to benefit the American people. We are going to respect the professional and scientific integrity and independence of our employees at our labs and across our department."
"We will be forthcoming with all publicly available information with the transition team," he said. "We will not be providing any individual names to the transition team."
Shorter Energy Department: "We got your mandate right here, Donald."
So Anthony Scaramucci of the Trump transition team went on CNN this morning to push "doubt" over climate science. Because we know who HE works for. Transcript via Media Matters:
CHRIS CUOMO (ANCHOR): Well, you’ve got different conversations. You have “Do you accept the science of man's impact on the warming of the planet?” And then you have “Well, what policy considerations do you make in light of that science?” That's one discussion. My first question, though, I'm not completely satisfied on yet, which is, I don't get that intellectual exercise to find out who worked on global warming. Why do you need to know who worked on global warming?
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI (TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM): I know that the current president believes that the human beings are affecting the climate. There are scientists that believe that that's not happening. I think that for me personally --
CUOMO: The overwhelming consensus in the scientific community is that man's actions have an impact on science. You have to correct that whenever it comes out. Go ahead.
SCARAMUCCI: Chris, there was an overwhelming science that the Earth was flat. And there was an overwhelming science that --
CUOMO: It’s called ignorance. You learn over time.
SCARAMUCCI: We were the center of the world. A hundred percent, you know, we get a lot of things wrong in the scientific community. You and I both know that. I'm not suggesting that we're not affecting the change. I honestly don't know, I'm not a scientist. If you're asking me for my opinion, it's probably a blend of people --
CUOMO: I'm not.
SCARAMUCCI: You're not asking me for my opinion?
CUOMO: I'm not. And I'm not offering my own. I’m telling you that there is a consensus within the scientific community. When you say, “I don't know,” that means you're ignoring the consensus in the scientific community. I’m saying just be straight about it.
And then Cuomo shows how to do this thing called journalism.
CUOMO: Anthony, all I'm saying is that there is a scientific consensus when it comes to the issue of whether or not man's actions has a negative impact on this warming phenomenon that's going on, and that's just the fact. Whether you accept it or not is up to you. The policy considerations that you make are secondary. They don't have to be tied to your position on the first issue. You can accept the science and say, “But, we have to put business first. We have to keep jobs here. We want clean air and water.” I said to another supporter of Trump, just for context. I just want you to understand the context. I said to Marsha Blackburn, “Can you be for clean air and clean water if you don't accept the science?” And a lot of Trump supporters came after me for it. I'll say it, again. Because it's about the genuineness of the commitment to clean air and clean water. If you don't accept the science on warming, is it a genuine commitment? That’s my question.
I have been arguing this point for years. Make "climate change" about clean air and clean water and clean land and safe food, and then DARE climate deniers to argue with you. And watch the argle bargle that comes in response:
SCARAMUCCI: Of course it's a genuine commitment to clean air and clean water. Chris, whether you accept the science or not, let's accept the science for a second here in this conversation. We're going to move in that direction. If you don't accept the science, we want to move in that direction. It's better for the United States and better for the world to have the U.S. be energy independent. Have us have clean air and clean water and protect the environment for future generations of Americans. All of that makes sense. But, again, you know, I don't want to litigate that. What I want to do is I want to have a problem solving-oriented, common sense, solution-based administration, because that's what the president-elect has given us a directive to do here at Trump Tower. So, we're doing that. So, you and I may disagree on a couple of things, but I think we're both generally going in the same direction. You want clean air for your children, clean water, so does President-elect Trump and so do I, Chris.
CUOMO: I just want you to understand it's not ideological for me. I’m just stating to you what the proposition is from the scientific community.
SCARAMUCCI: But it isn't for me either.
CUOMO: But you don't accept the science. Let me just move on to something else, though -
SCARAMUCCI: I didn't say that. I said I’m not –
CUOMO: You said you don't know. I'm saying the scientific community does.
SCARAMUCCI: But you're saying that you do, and you're saying the scientific community knows, and I'm saying people have gotten things wrong throughout the 5,500-year history of our planet.
Yeah and the people who got it wrong actually executed those who got it right, and it wasn't until the round world served the interests of capitalism in the form of trade routes to the East that everyone in the Catholic Church got on board. But you go with that "problem solving-oriented, common sense, solution-based administration" that serves the interests of Exxon-Mobil, while pretending that "nobody really knows" if the planet is heating.
