Here we go again. President Trump has resubmitted the nomination of Kathleen Hartnett White for chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In December, the Senate sent her name back to the president at the end of the legislative session. That means Hartnett White must now start the process over, including a new vote from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. It was her November appearance in front of the committee that gave us such memorable climate-denier gems as, “There are many different types of scientists;” “I am uncertain—no, I’m not;” and the instant classic, “[audible sigh].” While Hartnett White is not an ounce more qualified now to coordinate environmental policy than when her nomination lapsed, her questioning of the role of science in policy fits perfectly within the Trump administration philosophy—that is, put people in charge of what they hate the most.
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Expert BlogRhea Suh
President Trump and EPA chief Scott Pruitt are already doing enough harm. These administration nominees would make things much worse.
ExplainerPuerto Rico, New York City, United States, ClevelandBrian Palmer
Let’s not forget what America looked like before we had the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our rivers caught on fire, our air was full of smog, and it stank (literally).
ExplainerUnited StatesBrian Palmer
Congressional hearings kick off for those who will lead our government’s top agencies. Earth has reason to worry.