CLIMATE LIARS

The Environmental Protection Agency was founded shortly after the first Earth Day back in the early 1970's.  It's mission was to clean up and protect our air and water.  This was a tough mission since air pollution at the time was horrific as were our waterways.  Ohio got to watch one of its rivers burning and citizens of New York City and Los Angeles often could not see a blue sky.

Over the years, the EPA has worked hard and fought to clean up  our air and water.  There is still a lot to do, but until recently, the Agency was moving in the right direction.

We now face an even more critical period in our nation, and the world as a whole.  We face the possible collapse of the environmental systems that support the entire planet.  The cause, global warming.  It is called "climate change."  It is a change in the climate, but the truth is, the change is global warming.  The warming began with the Industrial Revolution a couple hundred years ago and is continuing, even increasing. 

In short, nearly all environmental scientists know global warming is caused by human activity.  What activity?  The burning of fossil fuels:  coal, oil, natural gas, releasing into the air, gasses known to act as a warming blanket, creating a planetary greenhouse.  Animal farming and leaky natural gas wells also contribute large amounts of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas.
  
The current head of EPA, Scott Prewitt is what some call a climate denier.  This means he does not publicly acknowledge any change in the world's climate.  Besides, if there were any change, it could not be caused by the actions of people, Right?

Mr. Prewitt is a lawyer.  This means he attended at least 7 years of college.  Unless Mr. Prewitt attended a school like Trump University, he had basic science and math classes which teach reasoning and logic.  He would have learned about the scientific method and the ways scientists investigate an issue, testing and retesting.  As a law student, he would have learned how arguments are structured and that each position needs to be backed up with facts.

Mr. Prewitt, Mr. Trump, and all the other folks dubbed "Climate deniers" know global warming is happening.  They have seen or heard the evidence.  They know that 100-year storms are occurring every few years.  Sea levels are rising, droughts and floods are happening more frequently than at any other time in recent history. 

It is easy to see these "climate deniers" as quaint, stupid, foolish, or any of a variety of appropriate adjectives.  However, they are, in addition, really, climate liars.  They are lying to their constituents, the American people.  They know what is occurring. 

Why would people like Mr. Prewitt knowingly put all our lives at risk by weakening or eliminating regulations that have served to lower human impact on the environment?  Why would they want the United States to drop out of a climate agreement signed by every country in the world but one (Syria), and now us?

The only word I can think of is GREED.  They are hoping to make a few quick bucks before there will be no choice about the use of fossil fuels.  I suppose they think they can accumulate enough money to cushion the blow that is coming. 

The media is partially to blame for the prominence of climate liars.  In some kind of "search for different viewpoints" they think they must put up a climate liar every time an environmentalist is interviewed.  This lets people think the viewpoints are of equal weight.  They are not!  

The climate is changing.  The change is being accelerated by human activity.  We, as a global community, need to act now.  That's it.  Everyone knows it or at least suspects it.  Those in power who publicly deny these truths are lying to themselves and to everyone else.  They are CLIMATE LIARS!  Done!