The White House made two climate-related statements on Friday. Each statement alone was not very surprising, but delivered together they make an absurd message.
The first statement announced the release of the fourth National Climate Assessment. Like the assessment reports before it, this report repeats warnings about the serious consequences of climate change and makes the clearest case yet for taking bold action to mitigate greenhouse gases.
The second statement contradicts the assessment report by repeating the Trump administration's stance on climate change—that the climate has always changed and that they will continue to expand the use of fossil fuels. As an implied justification for ignoring the report's warnings, the White House went on to state that there is still "uncertainty" in the Earth's sensitivity to greenhouse gas emissions.
So the White House is telling us: There will likely be a global disaster ahead if we do not mitigate greenhouse gases, but we plan to do nothing—and even expand the release of greenhouse gases—because we think there's still a chance, however slim, that everything will turn out alright. Does anyone else feel as though you're at tea party with the Mad Hatter?
David Henry • St. Louis
