{"id":30671,"date":"2018-02-08T10:35:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-08T15:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=30671"},"modified":"2018-02-08T10:35:53","modified_gmt":"2018-02-08T15:35:53","slug":"epa-head-scott-pruitt-says-global-warming-may-help-humans-flourish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=30671","title":{"rendered":"EPA head Scott Pruitt says global warming may help &#8216;humans flourish&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"content__head content__head--article tonal__head tonal__head--tone-news\n    \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"content__headline-standfirst-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"content__header tonal__header\">\n<div class=\"u-cf\">\n<h3 class=\"content__headline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2018\/feb\/07\/epa-head-scott-pruitt-says-global-warming-may-help-humans-flourish\">EPA head Scott Pruitt says global warming may help &#8216;humans flourish&#8217;<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tonal__standfirst u-cf\">\n<div class=\"content__standfirst\" data-link-name=\"standfirst\" data-component=\"standfirst\">\n<p><strong>EPA administrator says \u2018There are assumptions made that because the climate is warming that necessarily is a bad thing\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure id=\"img-1\" class=\"media-primary media-content ()  \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\">\n<div class=\"u-responsive-ratio\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=620&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=992562622830fea163f2a8bbe71aa728 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=620&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=4e95eabdc509a57b107285fc78626512 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=700&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=44d4adbdd0e75cf90dda8cfe4f03d0fc 1400w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"700px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=700&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=5552fff448402a645d83743a8cb3a5b5 700w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px)\" sizes=\"700px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=620&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=992562622830fea163f2a8bbe71aa728 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=620&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=4e95eabdc509a57b107285fc78626512 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" sizes=\"620px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=645&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=871d7fa7f99522ced3559497d6f747c8 1290w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"645px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=645&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=ff39ebf7a225db2d0115ff210906ba57 645w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" sizes=\"645px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=465&amp;q=20&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=92a25981ced0975fe43bbf070d584b9b 930w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 0px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" sizes=\"465px\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=465&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=9e5321c111b6c00b686517fd2e6552a7 465w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" sizes=\"465px\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"maxed responsive-img\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ba37d8417013cc3e51bfb8bffd4ea59cc8039222\/0_0_5472_3283\/master\/5472.jpg?w=300&amp;q=55&amp;auto=format&amp;usm=12&amp;fit=max&amp;s=2cca9796c2942dd8f19235ac7db5485a\" alt=\"\u2018It\u2019s fairly arrogant for us to think we know exactly what [the ideal surface temperature] should be in 2100,\u2019 Pruitt has said. \" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption caption--main caption--img\">Scott Pruitt: \u2018It\u2019s fairly arrogant for us to think we know exactly what [the ideal surface temperature] should be in 2100.\u2019 Photograph: Michael Reynolds\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\n<div>\n<p>Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has suggested that global warming may be beneficial to humans, in his latest departure from mainstream climate science.<\/p>\n<p>Pruitt, who has previously erred by <a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2017\/mar\/09\/epa-scott-pruitt-carbon-dioxide-global-warming-climate-change\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">denying<\/a> that carbon dioxide is a key driver of climate change, has again caused consternation among scientists by suggesting that warming temperatures could benefit civilization.<\/p>\n<p>The EPA administrator said that humans are contributing to climate \u201cto a certain degree\u201d, but added: \u201cWe know humans have most flourished during times of warming trends. There are assumptions made that because the climate is warming that necessarily is a bad thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo we know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100 or year 2018?\u201d <a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"http:\/\/news3lv.com\/news\/local\/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-goes-one-on-one-with-news-3\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">he told a TV station in Nevada<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s fairly arrogant for us to think we know exactly what it should be in 2100.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pruitt said he wanted an \u201chonest, transparent debate about what we do know and what we don\u2019t know, so the American people can be informed and make decisions on their own\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Under Pruitt\u2019s leadership, the EPA is mulling whether to stage a televised \u201cred team blue team\u201d debate between climate scientists and those who deny the established science that human activity is warming the planet.<\/p>\n<p>Donald Trump has also repeatedly questioned the science of climate change, <a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/946531657229701120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2017%2F12%2F29%2Fclimate-scientists-around-the-world-respond-to-trumps-global-warming-tweet.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">tweeting<\/a> during a cold snap in December that the US \u201ccould use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;click on the above link to read the rest of the article&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EPA head Scott Pruitt says global warming may help &#8216;humans flourish&#8217; EPA administrator says \u2018There are assumptions made that because the climate is warming that necessarily is a bad thing\u2019 Scott Pruitt: \u2018It\u2019s fairly arrogant for us to think we know exactly what [the ideal surface temperature] should be in 2100.\u2019 Photograph: Michael Reynolds\/EPA Scott [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[141,1470,369,18425,18426,6917,9703],"class_list":["post-30671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","tag-climate-change","tag-epa","tag-global-warming","tag-oliver-milman","tag-scott-pruitt","tag-the-guardian","tag-us-environmental-protection-agency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30672,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30671\/revisions\/30672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}