RantCrush Top 5: March 9, 2017

Science: it’s important, especially if you’re the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. But Scott Pruitt, the current EPA head who devoted much of his career to suing the EPA, made a statement yesterday that has many scratching their heads. When asked on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” if he believed that carbon dioxide is the “primary control knob” for the climate, Pruitt said: “No, I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there’s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact. So no, I would not agree that it’s a primary contributor to the global warming that we see. But we don’t know that yet.” Here’s the interview:

EPA chief Scott Pruitt says carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to global warming https://t.co/pYlXvtrIII pic.twitter.com/caTvHc1aVo

— CNBC (@CNBC) March 9, 2017

Pruitt’s claims are at odds with leading scientific bodies, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Put simply, the global scientific consensus is that carbon dioxide is a serious contributor to climate change.

via GIPHY

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.