7 ms·

Trump Picks Top Climate Skeptic to Lead EPA Transition

54 points by fmihaila 10y ago

honkhonkpants 10y ago
Trump administration will be a disaster for science and an end to the idea that government can help solve our climate problems. Installing this guy at the EPA will be like having your Great Library sacked by barbarians in Civilization. You don't come back from that.
- k__ 10y ago
  Didn't Neil deGrasse Tyson say republicans love wealth and every civilization thay took their efforts away from science lost all their wealth, so they will keep funding it?
  - honkhonkpants 10y ago
    Did he? Republicans favor policies that increase the wealth of the incumbent wealthy and are indifferent to policies that increase the wealth of the median citizen.
  - smitty1110 10y ago
    It's not that they love wealth, it's that they hate the government telling them what to do. They'll like this guy because he'll loosen regulations, scale back enforcement, etc. It's going to be a rough 2 years until midterms.
  - uw_rob 10y ago
    That assumes that Republicans agree with that hypothesis. Although I don't know the context of Tysons quote, I assume however that he means that efforts are allocated to the 'correct' areas of science.
  - indexerror 10y ago
    Except when science stands in the way of getting more wealth. Then fuck science.
vmasto 10y ago
As a European I can't help but think that this is an immediate demonstration of how the leader of the United States can have actual impact on my life. I was being mocked today by my (also European) peers when I expressed my disappointment in the election's outcome with the argument that I'm overly "Americanized". I believe many people fail to realize how big of a player America truly is when it comes to global policies (environment, nuclear, wars even).
- Swizec 10y ago
  I get similarly laughed at for suggesting that America has such a big global impact that maybe everyone should get to vote.
  - s_q_b 10y ago
    Well, if you want to join the Union, we're always accepting new territories.
    - gizmo686 10y ago
      If your lucky, we'll even give your territory a seat in Congress. Not a voting seat, but a seat. Good luck getting a vote for president though (although Puerto Rico does get to vote in the primaries). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Commissioner_of_Puerto_Rico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Commissioner_of_Puert... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_primaries_in_Puerto_Rico,_2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pri...
    - Swizec 10y ago
      Global union without borders? Yes please. How do we get there?
- yread 10y ago
  When America has a dumb president the whole world suffers. See Bush.
- boards2x 10y ago
shermozle 10y ago
http://hastrumpmadeamericagreatagainyet.com/ http://hastrumpmadeamericagreatagainyet.com/
danso 10y ago
One of the several things that has bothered me about commentators on Trump is that they've concocted this fantasy in which they imagine lazy-never-worked-a-day-in-his-life Trump finding that being president is more work than he realized so he, being Trump, says "fuck this" and is the chillest president ever while the GOP freaks out. The reality is, of course, Trump is going to have delegates. And these delegates are not laid back about their political ambitions. Voting in Obama twice didn't end war or Guantanamo. If Trump is as dumb and evil as you imagine, the hope that he'll do something dumb enough to learn his lesson is the laziest, most self-destructive kind of thinking.
- bostonpete 10y ago
  I don't understand what this comment has to do with the linked story. Can you connect the dots a bit more...?
  - danso 10y ago
    I think there is still hope that fun-straight-talking-entertainer Trump will surprise us all. Yeah, he can still be that guy, but who he picks can still be destructive. Case in point, this EPA chief. But we haven't yet heard who's going to be Homeland Security.
Florin_Andrei 10y ago
So the bad news starts on day 1. How unsurprising.
- finid 10y ago
  Brace yourself for more. Just wait until he announces what Guliani will be heading. Or Newt Gingrich. Sarah Palin's name is being thrown around too, so hold on tight.
- justifier 10y ago
  > By Robin Bravender, ClimateWire on September 26, 2016 ..a little sooner than that climate actions was a part of the campaign in the debate his vp repeatedly referenced a 'war on coal' it's how he won some important states(o) (o) http://fortune.com/2016/07/20/why-donald-trump-wont-bring-coal-jobs-back-to-west-virginia/ http://fortune.com/2016/07/20/why-donald-trump-wont-bring-co...
sctb 10y ago
Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12914828 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12914828
brohoolio 10y ago
As an employee as one of the top flight research university I can't help but wonder what is going to happen to research in the states. My employer kicks out tons of research and tons of startups every year. We are the largest employer in the state. I'm wondering what kind of funding cuts we will experience because our research shows that vaccines work and that the globe is warming and our student base is overall pretty liberal. Seems like a perfect target for political extremists who might be appointed. Really it's the perfect institution to support if you want to bring around the next generation to your cause.
- moyta 10y ago
  Liberal areas are going to lose federal transit funding entirely, and research funding will be heavily curtailed. Don't expect any major public works to be federally funded, historically GWB and his father both eliminated most of this type of funding.
superbaconman 10y ago
Disappointing but not unexpected. I'm not deep into the science, but it seems as though humanity will survive. If that's the case I can understand skeptics rational, but I can't help but feel sadness for the less fortunate (animals and poor alike).
finid 10y ago
Choosing Myron Ebell means Trump plans to drastically reshape climate policies That's actually part of his plan - assets.donaldjtrump.com/_landings/contract/O-TRU-102316-Contractv02.pdf, so no news there. The guy has started doing what he promised to do. By the time he's done, I pray God takes some pity on us. We're going to need it.
jrcii 10y ago
Good, we should be skeptical of this politically charged climate change pseudoscience, lead by scientists who come out later and admit they're basing their claims on flawed data. The earth's climate changes on the scale of thousands of years while we've been measuring it for 100. All you Silicon Valley people, LA people, NYC people, city people, live in a bubble formed by the urban politics around you and reinforced by liberal college professors, the liberal students they create, and the liberal mass media. This is simply not reality for vast swaths of the country. The rest of the country outside of urban areas has not swallowed this climate change narrative hooklineandsinker and just because you're surrounded by people who think like you do, including this very website, doesn't mean you're so reasonable and everyone who disagrees with you is crazy. You're welcome to continue that line of thinking if you like, and you're welcome to continue to be shocked when your politics are rebuked by the rest of the country like it was yesterday. Keep up the exasperated condescension toward Trump, I'm fine with it now because you lost and you will continue to lose.
icanhackit 10y ago
This decision could have a silver lining: inland areas that are conservative strongholds are more likely to suffer as a result of it than coastal states which are predominantly liberal. It could be a move that contributes to Trump lasting only a single term. If you poison the well in a serious enough way it might be enough to make climate change denial or lackadaisical attitudes towards the environment politically untenable in the future. It's just too bad that the American public has to learn the hard way.
- sid-kap 10y ago
  Aren't coastal areas more prone to flooding?
  - icanhackit 10y ago
    True but I was thinking in terms of relaxing rules on drilling, mining, emissions etc. I didn't spell that out though so my bad.
mtimjones 10y ago
Calm down snowflakes.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

54 points by fmihaila 10y ago

Trump administration will be a disaster for science and an end to the idea that government can help solve our climate problems. Installing this guy at the EPA will be like having your Great Library sacked by barbarians in Civilization. You don't come back from that.

k__ 10y ago
Didn't Neil deGrasse Tyson say republicans love wealth and every civilization thay took their efforts away from science lost all their wealth, so they will keep funding it?
- honkhonkpants 10y ago
  Did he? Republicans favor policies that increase the wealth of the incumbent wealthy and are indifferent to policies that increase the wealth of the median citizen.
- smitty1110 10y ago
  It's not that they love wealth, it's that they hate the government telling them what to do. They'll like this guy because he'll loosen regulations, scale back enforcement, etc. It's going to be a rough 2 years until midterms.
- uw_rob 10y ago
  That assumes that Republicans agree with that hypothesis. Although I don't know the context of Tysons quote, I assume however that he means that efforts are allocated to the 'correct' areas of science.
- indexerror 10y ago
  Except when science stands in the way of getting more wealth. Then fuck science.

vmasto 10y ago

As a European I can't help but think that this is an immediate demonstration of how the leader of the United States can have actual impact on my life. I was being mocked today by my (also European) peers when I expressed my disappointment in the election's outcome with the argument that I'm overly "Americanized". I believe many people fail to realize how big of a player America truly is when it comes to global policies (environment, nuclear, wars even).

Swizec 10y ago
I get similarly laughed at for suggesting that America has such a big global impact that maybe everyone should get to vote.
- s_q_b 10y ago
  Well, if you want to join the Union, we're always accepting new territories.
  - gizmo686 10y ago
    If your lucky, we'll even give your territory a seat in Congress. Not a voting seat, but a seat. Good luck getting a vote for president though (although Puerto Rico does get to vote in the primaries). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Commissioner_of_Puerto_Rico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Commissioner_of_Puert... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_primaries_in_Puerto_Rico,_2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_pri...
  - Swizec 10y ago
    Global union without borders? Yes please. How do we get there?
yread 10y ago
When America has a dumb president the whole world suffers. See Bush.
boards2x 10y ago

shermozle 10y ago

http://hastrumpmadeamericagreatagainyet.com/ http://hastrumpmadeamericagreatagainyet.com/

danso 10y ago

One of the several things that has bothered me about commentators on Trump is that they've concocted this fantasy in which they imagine lazy-never-worked-a-day-in-his-life Trump finding that being president is more work than he realized so he, being Trump, says "fuck this" and is the chillest president ever while the GOP freaks out. The reality is, of course, Trump is going to have delegates. And these delegates are not laid back about their political ambitions. Voting in Obama twice didn't end war or Guantanamo. If Trump is as dumb and evil as you imagine, the hope that he'll do something dumb enough to learn his lesson is the laziest, most self-destructive kind of thinking.

bostonpete 10y ago
I don't understand what this comment has to do with the linked story. Can you connect the dots a bit more...?
- danso 10y ago
  I think there is still hope that fun-straight-talking-entertainer Trump will surprise us all. Yeah, he can still be that guy, but who he picks can still be destructive. Case in point, this EPA chief. But we haven't yet heard who's going to be Homeland Security.

Florin_Andrei 10y ago

So the bad news starts on day 1. How unsurprising.

finid 10y ago
Brace yourself for more. Just wait until he announces what Guliani will be heading. Or Newt Gingrich. Sarah Palin's name is being thrown around too, so hold on tight.
justifier 10y ago
> By Robin Bravender, ClimateWire on September 26, 2016 ..a little sooner than that climate actions was a part of the campaign in the debate his vp repeatedly referenced a 'war on coal' it's how he won some important states(o) (o) http://fortune.com/2016/07/20/why-donald-trump-wont-bring-coal-jobs-back-to-west-virginia/ http://fortune.com/2016/07/20/why-donald-trump-wont-bring-co...

sctb 10y ago

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12914828 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12914828

brohoolio 10y ago

As an employee as one of the top flight research university I can't help but wonder what is going to happen to research in the states. My employer kicks out tons of research and tons of startups every year. We are the largest employer in the state. I'm wondering what kind of funding cuts we will experience because our research shows that vaccines work and that the globe is warming and our student base is overall pretty liberal. Seems like a perfect target for political extremists who might be appointed. Really it's the perfect institution to support if you want to bring around the next generation to your cause.

moyta 10y ago
Liberal areas are going to lose federal transit funding entirely, and research funding will be heavily curtailed. Don't expect any major public works to be federally funded, historically GWB and his father both eliminated most of this type of funding.

superbaconman 10y ago

Disappointing but not unexpected. I'm not deep into the science, but it seems as though humanity will survive. If that's the case I can understand skeptics rational, but I can't help but feel sadness for the less fortunate (animals and poor alike).

finid 10y ago

Choosing Myron Ebell means Trump plans to drastically reshape climate policies That's actually part of his plan - assets.donaldjtrump.com/_landings/contract/O-TRU-102316-Contractv02.pdf, so no news there. The guy has started doing what he promised to do. By the time he's done, I pray God takes some pity on us. We're going to need it.

jrcii 10y ago

Good, we should be skeptical of this politically charged climate change pseudoscience, lead by scientists who come out later and admit they're basing their claims on flawed data. The earth's climate changes on the scale of thousands of years while we've been measuring it for 100. All you Silicon Valley people, LA people, NYC people, city people, live in a bubble formed by the urban politics around you and reinforced by liberal college professors, the liberal students they create, and the liberal mass media. This is simply not reality for vast swaths of the country. The rest of the country outside of urban areas has not swallowed this climate change narrative hooklineandsinker and just because you're surrounded by people who think like you do, including this very website, doesn't mean you're so reasonable and everyone who disagrees with you is crazy. You're welcome to continue that line of thinking if you like, and you're welcome to continue to be shocked when your politics are rebuked by the rest of the country like it was yesterday. Keep up the exasperated condescension toward Trump, I'm fine with it now because you lost and you will continue to lose.

icanhackit 10y ago

This decision could have a silver lining: inland areas that are conservative strongholds are more likely to suffer as a result of it than coastal states which are predominantly liberal. It could be a move that contributes to Trump lasting only a single term. If you poison the well in a serious enough way it might be enough to make climate change denial or lackadaisical attitudes towards the environment politically untenable in the future. It's just too bad that the American public has to learn the hard way.

sid-kap 10y ago
Aren't coastal areas more prone to flooding?
- icanhackit 10y ago
  True but I was thinking in terms of relaxing rules on drilling, mining, emissions etc. I didn't spell that out though so my bad.

mtimjones 10y ago

Calm down snowflakes.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]