| Fears of a Climate Purge in the Trump Administration: The president-elect’s transition team is showing an unsettling interest in federal workers who have helped shape national and international climate policy. A 74-question document, first reported by Bloomberg on Friday, includes inquiries into which Department of Energy employees attended international climate talks, which employees helped develop policy around the social cost of carbon, and “which programs within DOE are essential to meeting the goals of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan.” Democratic lawmakers are speaking out against what they fear is an emerging witch hunt targeting career civil servants. (New York Times $, Washington Post $, CBS, Reuters, AP, Politico, The Hill, Politico PRO $, Mother Jones. Commentary: Vox, Brad Plumer analysis)
An “Open Mind” on Climate Change that Appears to Ignore Science: “Nobody really knows” if climate change is real, Donald Trump told Chris Wallace in an interview on Fox News Sunday, despite decades of established science. In the interview, Trump defended his appointment of climate denier Scott Pruitt to the EPA, expressing disdain for long EPA approval processes and implying “other countries are eating [the US’s] lunch” due to excessive regulations. The Paris Agreement, Trump claims, is something he is “studying.” He stated, “I don’t want that agreement to put us at a competitive disadvantage with other countries.” Trump also previewed “quick” decisions on the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines once he enters office without offering specifics. (Washington Post$, Politico, Slate, CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Mashable Commentary: Gizmodo, Rhett Jones analysis)
World’s Top Oil Boss May Become America’s Top Diplomat: ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is the current favorite for Secretary of State. While Tillerson has gone on the record acknowledging climate change, his company’s future profitability is inversely related to the success of international climate change agreements. Exxon is under investigation by state attorneys general for potentially misleading the public and stakeholders on climate change risk. The company is also being scrutinized by the SECfor its use of climate risk pricing in its portfolio. Tillerson’s close business relationship to Vladimir Putin is raising red flags, especially regarding the future of sanctions imposed on a 2011 deal expanding Exxon’s drilling rights in the Russian Arctic. (New York Times $, Washington Post $, WSJ $, AP, NPR, Politico, Texas Tribune, The Guardian, Reuters, LA Times $, The Hill, Mother Jones. Commentary: New Yorker, Steve Coll analysis, ThinkProgress, Joe Romm analysis)
Surprise — Oil Interests May Run DOE & DOI Too: Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-WA, will likely be offered the top job at Interior, outlets reported Friday. McMorris Rodgers has opposed action on climate change and has voted in favor of expanded offshore drilling and legislation, making it easier to drill within tribal territories. Meanwhile, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who once forgot the name of the Department of Energy while attempting to say he’d abolish it during a presidential debate, is the leading contender to head the agency. Perry is also opposed to climate action, has taken more than $12 million in donations from the oil and gas industry, and sits on the board of DAPL parent company Energy Transfer Partners. (DOI: WSJ $, Politico, Mother Jones, The Hill, Reuters DOE: Reuters, Bloomberg, The Guardian. Commentary: The Guardian, Oliver Milman analysis) |
