Trump Administration Report on Climate Change Draws Scientific Condemnation

Trump Administration Report on Climate Change Draws Scientific Condemnation
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A new report from the Trump administration, published by the Department of Energy (DOE) just hours after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed undoing its 2009 “endangerment finding,” is drawing heavy criticism from mainstream climate scientists, The Guardian reported. The endangerment finding is crucial for the EPA’s ability to regulate planet-heating pollution.

The DOE report, which aims to justify a widespread rollback of environmental regulations, asserts that scientific concern about the climate crisis is exaggerated. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated, “Climate change is a challenge – not a catastrophe.”

Climate experts, including Michael Mann and Naomi Oreskes, have described the report as a “farce” filled with misinformation. They argue its true purpose is to provide a scientifically unjustifiable basis for deregulation of fossil fuels, aligning with the administration’s “drill, baby, drill” policy. Critics contend that the report substitutes legitimate science with pseudoscience and relies on long-debunked research.

Unlike reports from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which are recognized as global standards, the Trump administration’s report was reportedly crafted by five handpicked scientists with contrarian views and underwent no peer review. Scientists like Zeke Hausfather and Natalie Mahowald have labeled the report as “tedious,” “distorted,” and “inaccurate,” asserting that it cherry-picks data and does not align with broader scientific literature. Examples of the report’s claims include overstating warming trends, suggesting that ocean acidification is within natural variability and beneficial for marine life, and referencing the health of the Great Barrier Reef despite recent mass bleaching events.