Scott Pruitt to head the EPA

[Townsend]

Christmas gift idea for you. Buy a gym membership for your favorite EPA worker.

Go get yourself an anus to eat

[Hoss]

Go get yourself an anus to eat

[guido911]

Go get yourself an anus to eat

Have a blessed and reflective Good Friday and Easter.

[joiei]

Have a blessed and reflective Good Friday and Easter.

You also Guido.  If it isn't raining, I'll be at the sunrise service at Guthrie Green. 

[guido911]

You also Guido.  If it isn't raining, I'll be at the sunrise service at Guthrie Green.  

Never been to that one. I go to Easter Vigil and then Sunday night. Also did Mass of the Lord's Supper Thursday and Stations today. Had kiddo duty for Good Friday Mass.

[patric]

WASHINGTON — A high-ranking political appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency has been cited by federal regulators for unspecified violations while serving as the top executive at an Oklahoma bank.

Albert "Kell" Kelly was hired earlier this year as a senior adviser to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Kelly was previously the chairman of SpiritBank, headquartered in Tulsa.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/adviser-to-epa-chief-cited-for-federal-banking-violations/2017/08/28/e5c40762-8c3a-11e7-9c53-6a169beb0953_story.html?utm_term=.791da2072546

[cannon_fodder]

In other EPA news, Pruitt said recently that science shouldn't be thrown about to dictate policy in the United States, what we need is televised "debates" about settled science, then we can base policy off of that.... I guess?  Just as long as it isn't science.  From the head of the EPA.  Which is supposed to base EVERY decision off of science.

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-science-dictate-policy/

The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.
EPA's purpose is to ensure that:
* all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work;
*national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific informationn;

https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/our-mission-and-what-we-do

Unless you don't like the best available scientific information?  Bah, just change the policy statement.

[swake]

In other EPA news, Pruitt said recently that science shouldn't be thrown about to dictate policy in the United States, what we need is televised "debates" about settled science, then we can base policy off of that.... I guess?  Just as long as it isn't science.  From the head of the EPA.  Which is supposed to base EVERY decision off of science.

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-science-dictate-policy/
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/our-mission-and-what-we-do

Unless you don't like the best available scientific information?  Bah, just change the policy statement.

Pure insanity.

[heironymouspasparagus]

You couldn't possibly be surprised by any of this...   It's Trump World.

[swake]

You couldn't possibly be surprised by any of this...   It's Trump World.

Just because you expect the crazy, doesn't change the fact that it IS crazy.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Just because you expect the crazy, doesn't change the fact that it IS crazy.

Absolutely!!   It is beyond crazy...!   The guy is well into dementia - could be Alzheimers.  But given his history of like behaviour for so long a time, he may just be plain old paranoid schizophrenic.  Hard to say without more info.


What is more concerning to me is the way to apparent willingness in complicity of the entire Republican party, with only a very few notable exceptions, to not only condone but, with inaction, actively endorse this completely immoral regime and President.  It says so much about the true "good family values and Christian beliefs" of these people than any other commentary and action we have ever seen before.

[Conan71]

In other EPA news, Pruitt said recently that science shouldn't be thrown about to dictate policy in the United States, what we need is televised "debates" about settled science, then we can base policy off of that.... I guess?  Just as long as it isn't science.  From the head of the EPA.  Which is supposed to base EVERY decision off of science.

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-science-dictate-policy/
https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/our-mission-and-what-we-do

Unless you don't like the best available scientific information?  Bah, just change the policy statement.

So this rather helps prove my point that things like climate science can be influenced or filtered by political agendas, eh Cannon?

[Townsend]

So this rather helps prove my point that things like climate science can be influenced or filtered by political agendas, eh Cannon?

No - but the stupid can

[cannon_fodder]

So this rather helps prove my point that things like climate science can be influenced or filtered by political agendas, eh Cannon?

Nope.  Rather than helping your point it deals a significant blow. I think you've been trying to say that there is a scientific debate going on with climate change, this reinforces the notion that it is merely political.

I mean, sure.  Any subject can be influenced or filtered by political agendas.  Trump could demand tomorrow that schools that receive Federal funds teach that babies come from storks.  That doesn't change the science behind it that say otherwise.  Scott Pruitt can say science doesn't matter, climate change is "unsettled", and that we must debate this on TV.  That doesn't change the science one bit.

So I agree in so much as the denial of climate change is a political agenda item, not a scientific debate.  Which explain why the head of the EPA feels the need to make such ridiculous statements.

[patric]

We could guard Beyoncé for less than what it costs to protect EPA chief
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/carl-hiaasen/article174938816.html