Senator Carper on Pruitt’s Radical Claims about Climate Change

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt wrongly asserted that carbon dioxide emitted by human activity is not a primary contributor to climate change.

“There are only two explanations for Mr. Pruitt’s outrageous comment: either our nation’s chief environmental officer is unaware of basic, scientific facts, or he is intent upon misleading the public.

“Carbon dioxide is one of the most potent and abundant greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, and it is the primary greenhouse gas emitted by human activities. Those are the facts; they are not up for debate.

“Mr. Pruitt and I can have differences of opinion, and we certainly do, but Mr. Pruitt is not entitled to his own facts. It is deeply concerning that Mr. Pruitt may, in fact, believe what he said this morning, but it is wholly irresponsible that our country’s chief defender of the environment would present such a fallacy as truth.”

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