How The EPA Will Change Under Pruitt
By Thom Hartmann A...
With the help of Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Republicans in the Senate on Friday confirmed Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency - an agency that Pruitt sued no less than 13 times during his tenure as Oklahoma Attorney General.
Immediately after the vote, the Sierra Club tweeted "Scott Pruitt, the most dangerous, anti-science EPA head in history has been confirmed. The GOP suddenly doesnt care about hidden emails".
The confirmation comes just one day after an Oklahoma judge ruled that Pruitt's attorney general's office has until Tuesday to turn over more than 2,500 missing emails and other documents.
According to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Media and Democracy - since 2015, Pruitt has refused 9 open-records requests about communications between his office and members of the fossil fuel industry - like Koch Industries - Peabody Energy - and the National Coal Council.
Comments
#2
Thank you for what you do Thom, I very much enjoy reading your blog. In my "never to be humble" opinion ( thank you dr. Laura), I believe the great democratic experiment begun on May 29, 1790 has come to an abrupt end. With the current occupants of the White House and the entrenched GOP led congress, I believe we now have "the most corrupt government money can buy!" I also believe that this past January 20, 2017 saw the last peaceful transition of power in the United States.
#3
HUH? Or is this just another jeremiad against liberals and Democrats? Doesn't make any sense.
#4
I sent a message but it went to general comments and not back to you -- it was the "HUH?" one by historywriter.
#5
Those mean old repubs won the election and now they are going to run things their way.
Totally opposed to their EPA policies, but the left will have to present a better candidate
next time to put their policies in place.
ct
#6
That's if there is a next time.
#7
Can we assume, then, that Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota are in bed with the rest of the republicants and the fossil fuel industry?
#8
These folks are active - it looks like they have some good ideas, worth exploring:
#9
99 degrees F in SW Oklahoma on February 15th. 14 degrees above the record.
#10
The hypocrisy, claiming reverance for life with regards to abortion yet eagerly willing to threaten all life on the planet (plant, animal, and human) for the almighty dollar. I grieve, deeply.
#11
If you washed up lefties really wanted to do something about reducing the use of fossil fuels, other than complain, you would support the increased use of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is the only (other than fossil) energy source with the capacity to handle our increasing energy demands. Solar and wind are 'feel good' solutions that lack consistency of production. The choice is simple, do you want to complain and be the victim, or do you want to be part of the solution.
#12
What do you propose to do with the radioactive waste? Feed it to your washed up enemies ... I mean, fellow humans? Fukushima offers a realtime solution. No need to complain - what difference will it make? Winners of the world are in control now. Right?
Good luck with that - you are going to need it.
... consistency of production? Talk to the jellyfish.
I suppose it is unrealistic to suggest - or even think - the oh so enlightened exceptionalists of this world might look for, even find, and implement ways to curb those increasing energy demands?
Or would that require more conscience and personal responsibility than wee mighty individuals can muster? Better to muster the troops, I guess. Either way, a phenomenal waste.
#13
I predict more EPA scientists will be hitting the bottle. They are used to publishing facts which are unheeded already, so no one really cares what they say as employees. Though it is supposedly difficult to fire federal employees, I think the new agency head will hire non-biologists to issue permits which impact ESL's, water, and air and laterally promote biologists and ecologists out of the permitting process.
#14
K Allen
I have no idea what you are saying. "Talk to the jellyfish" I didn't know they could talk:)), but I'm not a washed up leftie.
BTW, generation of energy by Fossil fuels has killed and injured many more people than generating electricity by Nuclear Energy. Radioactive waste can be solved. It's not addressed, because you washed up lefties are either scared, or in the pockets of the fossil fuel industry. The fossil fuel folks know wind and solar don't have the capacity to support our energy infrastructure. The fossil fuel industry knows nuclear energy is the only energy source that can meet our energy demands now and in the future, hence the demonizing of nuclear energy with the help of the washed up lefties.
#15
One of the core behavioral traits hampering humankind's evolution of consciousness, and therefore our species' survivability, is a stubborn penchant for seeing the world around us through the bleary lens of abstract ideology and preconceived notions -- the world how we think and wish it to be rather than how it actually is. The progression of anthropogenic climate disruption is not dependent on whatever opinions we may have about the science; it just plays out according to the laws of physics.
Virtually every species that has gone extinct did so because of an inability to adapt to adverse environmental changes, usually because there simply wasn't enough time to evolve. Like it or not, this is the exact dilemma in which we now find ourselves, one that we created! If we are to survive, along with most other species on the planet, the majority of people -- especially our representatives in government -- must recognize the fact of global warming, how critical it is, and the primary cause, which is the environmentally inharmonious actions of the human mind.
Only then will it be possible to release the more constructive energy and willpower of our collective mind that could mitigate the life-ending disaster looming on the horizon -- the world's sixth mass extinction event, the worst one of all.
The Trump Administration and the Republican Congress are doing the exact opposite of what is required by deregulating and enabling the criminal behavior of the most deviant among us, those who selfishly destroy life to satiate their perpetual greed and lust for personal power.
#16
I never have figured out why we can't get that waste cleaned up at Hanford - except that, maybe, someone wants that stuff to be accessible for current use. After decades of advocacy, activism, legislative and popular support (on all sides) for clean up of nuclear waste at Hanford ... why are those barrels of waste still seeping into the ground ... right next to a river at high ground?
Who, in the DOE/DOD keeps pulling the plug on cleanup/containment ... and why? Liberal lefties? Kinda vague.
I understand that nuclear medicine has made great strides. No doubt, fusion technologies are being developed that will provide more energy with less waste than existing power plants.
Even so, the problem of what to do with the waste looms large, along with questions of how to transfer investments and profits into technologies that do meet the energy needs of a healthy population.
Beyond all that, I encourage one and all to reach for the nuclear power source each one of us carries in every atom of every cell in our bodies and the presence of mind to recognize and accept our own potentials to function as healthy individuals in a healthy world ... that would be flexible and adaptable, I think.
I'm not qualified to argue science - climate or otherwise. From what I can see, jellyfish species have survived, even flourished through it all.
They are exceptional in their abilities to adapt and proliferate. They have intelligence, and are capable of combining populations to form complex organisms with designated functions that serve the whole entity ... just like us.
They thrive where others fail. They even clog filtering systems in nuclear plants (also, drilling stations and ocean going vessels?) forcing closure, and economic loss (which, of course, is the only loss we really count - other than "washed up liberal lefties" - and that, just for fun - right?)
And, with more pollution/toxicity, including radioactivity from nuclear power plants leeching into the environment (((including the oceans, where jellyfish live))) I can only guess who - or what - will survive ....
So, my sense is, jellyfish have much to tell us, if only we can learn their language, ... and listen. Chances are, most of us will not want to hear what they are saying.
#17
As far as I can tell, every cell communicates, every species has its own way of communicating (language) - including us humans ... would it help if we learn to use our language abilities to actually say something - to communicate?
#18
Ou812, Toshiba (who owns Westinghouse Nuclear) is about to go bankrupt over the cost overuns on the 4 reactors that it is building in GA and SC. Toshiba has all ready said that it will not be involved in buiding anymore nukes. Areva (the French Nuclear company that has a large presence in the USA) has all ready been bankrupted and reorganized with support from the French Government over 2 plants that it is building in France and Finland. Do you think companies are going to get in line to build more?
#19
Legend:
Nope, none will be built. The fossil fuel Industry and you washed up lefties will see to that. The fossil fuel industry is keenly aware of the limitations of solar and wind electricity generation. They know it doesn't have the capacity nor the production consistency to survive without the electrical grid. The fossil fuel folks want to be be the supplier of the electrical grid. They are also aware that nuclear is more than capable of meeting the growing electricity demands. There answer is to use the washed up lefties to protest nuclear and stop it at every opportunity. Check out any fossil fuel industry web site, you'll see something that is championing "green energy".
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It is sad day when the Democratic party turned to side with pure evil. As it was proved during Bush Jr's evil time in the White House that the Democratic party is dead, mainly occupied by cowards and love of all the hand outs they get to sell what's left of our country to the monsters bent on full power.