Trump EPA transition advisor: Trump will honor his campaign pledge to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement

US president Donald Trump will honour his campaign pledge to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement and defund UN climate programmes, a former adviser to the new administration has said.

Myron Ebell served as head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) transition team from early September until 19 January, when he helped to draft an advisory action plan on how to implement Trump’s campaign promises.

At a press briefing held by the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) and the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in London today, Ebell declined to divulge any details of the EPA document on the grounds that it is confidential.

But Ebell, a well-known climate change sceptic and head of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) energy and environment centre, outlined Trump’s “very clear” promises on energy and the environment that he is convinced the new president will honour.

Apart from withdrawing from the UN climate deal, Trump will also potentially repeal all of the previous administration’s EPA rules on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions including the clean power plan and the climate action plan.

Ebell expects Trump “to be very assiduous in keeping his promises despite all the flack he is going to get from his opponents,” adding that he brings a “message of hope” in terms of the new administration’s energy and environment policy.

The first hopeful aspect is that the US will clearly change course on climate policy, Ebell said. Secondly, the new US president has undertaken to unleash US energy production growth. Trump said he wants to make the US the world’s largest energy producer and achieve a position of global dominance for the country, he said.

“This is obviously good for the US, but also for the world because in becoming the top global energy supplier the US will reduce the influence of certain countries in the Middle East and of Russia,” Ebell said. “This is going to happen because the US has the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves — by far the largest coal reserves and also, because of the shale revolution, gigantic fields of natural gas and oil.”

An apparent contradiction emerged in recent weeks between Trump’s position and that of his incoming secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who said the US will “remain part” of UN climate discussions. When asked about these contrasting positions, Ebell said it is impossible for him to predict the outcome, but “in a disagreement with the president, who do you think will win?”

Ebell outlined three major ways in which Trump can annul US participation in the Paris climate deal. In the first instance, the president can simply stop any US financial contributions to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In any event, all US funding to the UNFCCC, including to the Green Climate Fund, represents a violation of US law ever since Palestine — which is not internationally recognised as a legitimate state — was accepted as a UNFCCC member, Ebell argued.

Trump can have the US Congress reject the Paris agreement on the basis that legally it is a treaty and does not qualify as an executive presidential order. He can also withdraw the US from the UNFCCC altogether, which according to Ebell would be “the cleanest way” as it would absolve the US from any commitments, financial or otherwise, under the UNFCCC and the Paris climate deal.

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Myron Mesecke
January 31, 2017 8:02 am

Growing up I had to put up with Brady Bunch having a white mouse named Myron and Happy Days having the Fonz put up with a brat kid named Myron.
Nice to see a smart intelligent person with the name making his mark.

JohnKnight
Reply to  Myron Mesecke
January 31, 2017 12:50 pm

Sounds good, Myron . . I’ll bet some Don Juans here and there are even more heartened by Mr. Trump’s success ; )

george e. smith
Reply to  JohnKnight
January 31, 2017 3:25 pm

Well the whole Press world seems to be bamboozled by his following the precedent , signed into law by his predecessor, banning for six months, travel by persons from Iraq; a mostly moslem country, to the united states, while the security people tried to figure out what those would be travelers might actually have in the way of documents identifying who they are.
Seems like The new President, is going to get the vetting process sorted out for a total of seven mostly moslem countries, and get that done in half the time Obama took.
By the way; what the hell is a “mostly moslem country” ??. It seems like all of a sudden the world is full of them; maybe 57 of them. What distinguishes a mostly moslem country from a just plain moslem country ??
Apparently one of the co-sponsors of the bill that Obama signed into the law of the land was a democrat from Connecticut, who now is complaining about President Trump putting her law into effect again to protect the American people from undocumented terrorists.
The press also is bamboozled by their discovery that those seven countries that harbor terrorists also don’t have any Trump businesses in them.
Come to think of it; who the hell in their right mind would want to start any business in a country that is a hotbed of terrorism ??
I don’t even want to go anywhere near any of those countries.
G

commieBob
January 31, 2017 8:04 am

… by far the largest coal reserves …

The previous story on WUWT was about the end of coal. That might happen a bit later.

Griff
Reply to  commieBob
January 31, 2017 8:14 am

sooner…
If natural gas prices drop, less coal gets burned. And the Trump plan surely boosts gas, reduces industry costs, therefore prices?

MarkW
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 8:30 am

Amongst the myriad of things poor Griffie doesn’t understand, simple economics is near the top of the list.
If less coal gets burned, the price of coal will go down.
This makes coal more competitive with gas.
As more gas is burned, the price of gas also goes up.
Beyond that, it was a technical innovation that allowed the price of gas to fall. It’s a sure bet that coal producers are working on their next big technical innovation.
Don’t count on trends continue, just because you want them to.

Mike the Morlock
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 9:01 am

Griff January 31, 2017 at 8:14 am
You are as usual forgetting one size does not fit all.
Infrastructure. Right now we are transporting oil and coal on the same railroads. This means they compete for the same rail space.
Once the pipelines are built cost of shopping coal drops.
Also infrastructure; what is more expensive, coal storage or LNG.
Also take note France and Spain are having LNG shortages they are using it faster then stocks can be shipped and stored. Best to have a mix of reliable power fuels. The French needed to take many of their “Nukes” off line. Right in the middle of a bad winter.
Question is how much is the weather effecting their ability to get the Nukes back on line.
michael

ShrNfr
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 9:04 am

– There are many things in the ng vs. coal tradeoff that enter the equation. Ng can be ramped up in a hurry and a combined cycle plant has a heat rate of around 8K btu. Coal ramps slowly and has a heat rate of ~12K btu. The price is not as elastic as it might first seem because of that.

Resourceguy
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 9:13 am

The most common mistake made in armchair energy economics is misreading the lag times involved in market moves. Natural gas prices will rise in response to its transition to a base fuel source for a large number of base load power plants in contrast to past use a speaking power source and a lot of other industry transitions going on simultaneously. Add in a few years of cyclical macro demand increases spanning major economies and a price spike scenario is not out of the question, even with enormous new supplies. Another example of misread markets was in the complaints about how slow fuel price declines came a few years ago after the drilling and production for shale oil had been realized. That oil inventory effect did not get to consumers because of pipeline capacity constraints at Cushing and the Gulf Coast to clear the inventory glut or at least move it closer to the refineries. Armchair types don’t allow for those market constraints and time lags, much less the policy roadblock effects.

MarkW
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 9:47 am

ShrNfr: The time frame that I am talking about is months to years.
Long term, will companies decide to build Ng or coal based power plants.
Shorter term, will they run the coal plant at 90% and the Ng plant at 80%, or the other way around.

Javert Chip
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 1:33 pm

Yo, Griff1
How’s the polar bear study going? Figured out who Susan Crockford is yet? Decided if you’re going to apologize to her yet?

Harrywr2
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 1:35 pm

,
The price of coal at mine mouth in Wyoming is about $10 ton or 60 cents/MMBTU.
There is no energy source that comes even close to the minemouth price of coal in Wyoming.
Unfotunatey for vast majority of the world(including much of the US) shipping and handling costs many times the price of the coal.
Hence, coal consumption is constrained bt transportation costs.

Auto
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 3:53 pm

Harrywr
I know Wyoming is far from the sea, but sea-borne transportation – certainly for bulk cargoes – oil, LNG, coal, iron ore, bauxite and even containers – is cheap as chips.
If there was a possible waterway, or coal-in-water pipeline, link to, and across, South Dakota, then would river transportation to the Mississippi be reasonable?
I ask, as the Missouri looks quite narrow for much of its downstream course beyond South Dakota to St. Louis.
Auto, seeking to learn – and thanking you for your help.

J. Hellberg
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 8:05 pm

Griff what there’s going to be an end of sooner, is the thermobilly hicks’ religion, called Green House Gas Back Radiation Heating.
I’ll bet your reputation on it.

Robert from oz
Reply to  Griff
January 31, 2017 11:28 pm

First almost intelligent thing I’ve seen from you Griff , no apologise to that nice lady about the polar bears .

Snarling Dolphin
Reply to  Griff
February 2, 2017 10:22 am

Smart move is to continue to burn coal domestically and ship LNG overseas while developing infrastructure better suited to support heavier reliance on domestic gas use in the future. That’s a win win for the US economy, the biosphere, geopolitical stability, and smart resource utilization. So much winning!

Kaiser Derden
Reply to  Griff
February 3, 2017 3:08 pm

nope … can’t burn nat gas in a coal plant … and those coal plants aren’t yet being replaced … beside the price of nat gas won’t remain low if we sell it to the rest of the world FOR THE FIRST TIME in history …

January 31, 2017 8:08 am

Can’t wait to see the protest marches by the green blob if Trump kicks them into touch. No doubt they will be out in force in the UK, sticking their noses where they’re not wanted, as usual.

observa
Reply to  HotScot
January 31, 2017 8:12 am

Go easy on the poor darlings as they’re still in mourning over Brexit.

Gerry, England
Reply to  observa
January 31, 2017 3:49 pm

Hit them again they ain’t dead yet!

PiperPaul
Reply to  HotScot
January 31, 2017 8:57 am

I wonder if they’ll dress up in giant douchebag costumes.comment image

Hugs
January 31, 2017 8:09 am

Trump will honor his campaign pledge

Good. And if you have enemies, you stood up for something.

Gerry, England
Reply to  Hugs
January 31, 2017 3:50 pm

If you can’t hear the screams of the lefties then you just aren’t trying hard enough. The Don should have a wall where he puts up a sticker for every demo and smiles to himself at his success.

David Norman
Reply to  Hugs
January 31, 2017 4:55 pm

My son just composed and posted a song on youtube which reflects on this; https://youtu.be/wQitlVUOZeA

RobbertBobbertGDQ
Reply to  David Norman
January 31, 2017 5:11 pm

David,
Link goes direct to…404…Not Found.
Any other way to find it?

David Norman
Reply to  David Norman
January 31, 2017 5:59 pm

Robbert, here is the youtube link again, not sure why it did not work: https://youtu.be/wQitlVUOZeA

markl
Reply to  David Norman
January 31, 2017 7:05 pm

I like.

January 31, 2017 8:11 am

It seems to me that there is a climate politics change, major one.

Goldrider
Reply to  ristoi
January 31, 2017 9:22 am

That’s because you can only hide the truth for so long; the CAGW theory was given benefit of a doubt until it became obvious to the world body politic that its predictions were false. To throw absurd amounts of money after a non-problem (when we have many REAL) problems is a political dead end now.

Winnipeg boy
Reply to  Goldrider
January 31, 2017 10:27 am

Three things that will not stay hidden long: The Sun, The Moon and The Truth.
I think Buddha had that made into a t-shirt.

WR
January 31, 2017 8:14 am

I love it. The professional agitators won’t know what to protest! Hopefully they will soon wear themselves out, accept reality, and get a real job.

Reply to  WR
January 31, 2017 8:33 am

Hopefully they will soon wear themselves out, accept reality, and get a real job.

Get a real job …
They never had to work hard all their life, just had everything given to them. They won’t know how to work hard and thus won’t be able to cope with a real job. I know farmers who cannot find Americans willing to work in the fields even though they would make more money than their current job. Get a real job … the chances of that happening are lower than you having a chance of beating Michael Jordan in his prime one-on-one with one hand tied behind your back, your shoes tied together, and playing with a football instead of a basketball.

Reply to  alexwade
January 31, 2017 9:12 am

Get a real job

Ultimately I think we’ve made a generation so isolated from what the real world would be like without society, and because of this isolation, they are rejecting the society that made their lives so easy, and they are going to fine the water they end up in is very cold, very harsh, and does not take pity on the foolish.
We are watching a portion of society trying to commit suicide of that society.

Alan Robertson
Reply to  WR
January 31, 2017 9:08 am

… or run out of Soros money and Steyer money and…

Goldrider
Reply to  WR
January 31, 2017 9:26 am

The timing of Trump’s campaign promise fulfillments, coming at least one or more a day right now, is engineered to induce “outrage adrenal fatigue” in his opponents. The media has a short attention span–are we still talking about the P—y Riot now? What about The Wall? Today it’s immigration restrictions, but tomorrow it’ll be ALL about the Supreme Court. And the great cosmic truth is that “groups,” no matter how loud they scream and make a nuisance of themselves, have NO power against the Federal Government.

tomwys1
January 31, 2017 8:14 am

The wisdom of Myron’s selection to manage the EPA Transition team is simply stunning, if not an utterly Brilliant example of Donald Trump’s intelligence!

Latitude
Reply to  tomwys1
January 31, 2017 8:46 am

+1

Neo
January 31, 2017 8:17 am

“… incoming secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who said the US will “remain part” of UN climate discussions.”
Jeffrey Pelt (Hunt for Red October): Listen, I’m a politician which means I’m a cheat and a liar, and when I’m not kissing babies I’m stealing their lollipops. But it also means I keep my options open.
Of course, you stay part of the discussions. You never know when they will gang up on you.

John V. Wright
January 31, 2017 8:20 am

Love the way James Delingpole strolls in half-way through!

Mark from the Midwest
Reply to  John V. Wright
January 31, 2017 9:34 am

more like a strut than a stroll

eyesonu
Reply to  John V. Wright
January 31, 2017 9:52 am
eyesonu
Reply to  eyesonu
January 31, 2017 10:02 am

And more from James Delingpole here: http://www.breitbart.com/author/james-delingpole/

Graham
Reply to  eyesonu
January 31, 2017 1:22 pm

So that’s where that doyen of the pen got to! Had his Telegraph columns of yore framed in gold.

observa
January 31, 2017 8:22 am

There’s no doubt Trump is flushing them out everywhere and providing great amusement for we ordinary deplorable down under-
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/peak-trump-hysteria-at-sydney-morning-herald/news-story/d0e17df8ee1f4f2684bc61e73c10fb0e
We always knew the MSM were the PC lefty latte set and they’re coming out having tantrums everywhere. They’re obsessed with the Trump phenomenon and he has them completely rattled.

RobbertBobbertGDQ
Reply to  observa
January 31, 2017 9:27 pm

Observa,
My favourite Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) entry in The Trump Diatribe Stakes.
‘Kim Kardashian joins celebrities in criticising Trump Muslim bans.’
Like the overwhelming majority of celebs Ms Kardashian is a renowned Republican?
Isn’t that the way Hollywood/Celebrity goes? Hard Core Republican.

JohnWho
January 31, 2017 8:24 am

Maybe, just maybe, those that disagree with Ebell’s skepticism might actually show some willingness to debate. Maybe.
Although, Ebell might also invoke Gore’s “the debate is over” philosophy.

Roger Knights
Reply to  JohnWho
January 31, 2017 11:38 am

Maybe, just maybe, those that disagree with Ebell’s skepticism might actually show some willingness to debate. Maybe.
Although Ebell might also invoke Gore’s “the debate is over” philosophy.

Being put on the defensive ought to make warmists much more willing to debate.

Hugh Davis
Reply to  Roger Knights
January 31, 2017 12:18 pm

Roger Knights:
The warmists will never debate because they know they cannot win against knowledgeable non-corrupt scientists. They will just slowly disappear back into their holes muttering with incoherent rage until they finally become an extinct species.

Reply to  Roger Knights
January 31, 2017 9:40 pm

@ hugh Davis, They will soon find another “Quest”.

Roger Knights
Reply to  Roger Knights
February 1, 2017 12:35 am

@ Hugh Davis:
If Trump pulls out of the Paris agreement, the warmists will be forced to debate.

January 31, 2017 8:33 am

Trump is playing Patton lol

Greg Woods
January 31, 2017 8:46 am

I wish that the Trump administration could do something as simple as reinstating fines on the bird shredders and fryers…

Barbara
Reply to  Greg Woods
January 31, 2017 10:35 am

One of the biggest supporters of wind turbines is a long serving Republican senator from Iowa.

Barbara
Reply to  Barbara
January 31, 2017 12:00 pm

NA WINDPOWER, Sept.1, 2016
‘Exclusive: Sen. Grassley Sets The Record Straight On Trump And Wind’
“and the father of the production tax credit (PTC) itself -” (Grassley)
Scroll down to: Grassley and AWEA/American Wind Energy Association.
http://www.nawindpower.com/exclusive-sen-grassley-sets-the-record-straight-on-trump-and-wind
More information on this topic online.

R2Dtoo
Reply to  Greg Woods
January 31, 2017 12:19 pm

They would fold tomorrow if they were charged per bird/bat at the same rate as oil ponds. Trump could change the regulation exempting them.

Latitude
January 31, 2017 8:49 am

ok…this made me laugh
“in a disagreement with the president, who do you think will win?”
So nice to have someone in charge that really is in charge for a change…
…we’ve been had for way too long….by both sides
Same dog….different collar

D. J. Hawkins
Reply to  Latitude
January 31, 2017 10:57 am

It’s nice to have someone working for the President who understands he, in fact, works for the President.

radzimir
January 31, 2017 8:52 am

I’m confused: if he is honoring the campaign pledge, does it mean he isn’t a politician?

Rhoda R
Reply to  radzimir
January 31, 2017 9:01 am

He is a businessman. Who won the election. And brought ethics and standards back into the political field. Which is driving the true politicians nuts.

phaedo
January 31, 2017 8:57 am

I’ll believe it when I see it, and then I’ll get a hernia from laughing.

Barbara
Reply to  phaedo
January 31, 2017 9:10 am

phaedo, ditto !!!

Mike the Morlock
Reply to  phaedo
January 31, 2017 9:12 am

phaedo January 31, 2017 at 8:57 am
I’ll believe it when I see it, and then I’ll get a hernia from laughing.
Same with me phaedo I, mean just look how he caved in when the temporary head of the Justice Department (now what was her name?) refused to enforce the travel ban and instructed the agency’s lawyers not to defend the order.
michael

TRM
Reply to  Mike the Morlock
January 31, 2017 9:42 am

That was a good sign. Saying the Clinton’s were “good people” was not. I think he will keep his promise to ditch AGW and get science back to science not advocacy. That one doesn’t affect the powers that be. They will just start new scams. Their scientist lackies will be discarded.

Reply to  Mike the Morlock
January 31, 2017 9:46 am

Same with me phaedo I, mean just look how he caved in when the temporary head of the Justice Department (now what was her name?) refused to enforce the travel ban and instructed the agency’s lawyers not to defend the order.

At various times in my career, I’ve helped companies implement engineering software systems, first electronic design tools, then later Product data management.
And as you’re discussing adoption issues, there’s a small group of who just refuse to do their part entering data for other purposes. And I would suggest that they are smart, just take the loudest one out front, and shoot him, so everyone sees. It’ll only take one or two, and everyone one will be happy little workers.
I softened over the years, and switch to just a taser, but it would be fun to watch them flop around for a while. And still educational.

Brian H
Reply to  Mike the Morlock
February 1, 2017 3:01 am

That’s what “decimation” means: executing every 10th one. “Pour encourager les autres.”

Malcolm Latarche
Reply to  phaedo
January 31, 2017 9:54 am

With you on that.

Resourceguy
January 31, 2017 8:57 am

Go for the clean break and let that clearly identify the loudest complainers for the rest of us to watch and learn from. A tally of savings to the American people would be helpful on this and other changes to see the mountain of money dished out previously behind our backs and added to annual deficit and rolling debt.

Chris4692
January 31, 2017 9:10 am

Trump is naive enough that he thinks politicians should keep their campaign promises.

Mark from the Midwest
January 31, 2017 9:33 am

Tillerson’s comments, which make a moderate amount of sense, involve “having a seat at the table.” From a foreign policy standpoint that’s not bad. It makes it difficult for other countries to act in faux leadership positions. But, we can retain our seat, and fail to act on anything that we, as a country, have not agreed to do, and we have not agreed to all of the Paris agreement, (if that makes any sense). We sit at the table and politely tell everyone, Obama agreed to that the U.S. did not … Kerry agreed to that, the U.S. did not … Al Gore agreed to that, and will be prosecuted shortly for misrepresenting himself.

phaedo
Reply to  Mark from the Midwest
January 31, 2017 9:48 am

Al Gore’s council would simply put in a plea of diminished responsibility.

Mark from the Midwest
Reply to  phaedo
January 31, 2017 10:01 am

touche

William Astley
Reply to  Mark from the Midwest
January 31, 2017 10:03 am

We need the right people at the table and we need some scientific discussions before we go to the dang table.
Trump’s team asserts that the Paris Climate ”Agreement’ is a bad deal for the US and for the other developed countries.
China is the winner of the Paris Climate Agreement.
If no action is taken, there will be higher energy costs for all developed countries, while China has zero restrictions until 2030, at which time China will be the most powerful country in the world.comment image
Trump’s team stated that important policy decisions should be based on facts and common sense rather than CAGW propaganda.comment image

Catcracking
Reply to  Mark from the Midwest
February 1, 2017 10:26 am

Mark, good point
Trump can tell them to go back to the person who made the promise, get the $$$ from Kerry and Obama.
They had no authority to give our $$$ to the UN.

markl
January 31, 2017 10:18 am

The dominoes are falling one by one and as the Left scrambles to react to the latest another one is being announced. The AGW domino will be the most far reaching in the world as 200 countries realize they will now have to build their economies themselves for a living. Expect an outcry and expect Trump to be immune to it as he has so far to all his critics. Americans haven’t had this much fun since we dumped the tea into the harbor (only comparing the glee).

Resourceguy
Reply to  markl
January 31, 2017 10:28 am

That pretty much sums it up.

Latitude
Reply to  markl
January 31, 2017 10:29 am

everything they are screaming about….was designed for socialist globalization…..
Their entire house of cards is being blown apart

R2Dtoo
Reply to  markl
January 31, 2017 12:25 pm

He should have dumped everything on the same day- they wouldn’t have a clue where to march/riot!

Dodgy Geezer
January 31, 2017 10:25 am

Please, Please, PLEASE…
Commission some valid science. Or do a deep audit of the existing science. But DO get the foundations right. Don’t just do climate science by politics like the last lot did…

Griff
Reply to  Dodgy Geezer
February 2, 2017 3:24 am

yes. audit the science before sacking anyone or cancelling anything.
It is no use saying it was a fraud if you don’t prove it.

Reply to  Griff
February 2, 2017 5:55 am

It is no use saying it was a fraud if you don’t prove it.

Here you go.comment image

troe
January 31, 2017 10:27 am

Wow. An excellent exposition of what is coming. The environmental press obviously fears a catastrophe and Myron essentially confirmed that fear. It was interesting to note the difference in style and substance between the energy reporters and environmental reporters.
Maybe it’s just me but the issues are not the same although they have been greatly conflated. Turning the EPA back to the mission of clean air and water is probably meant to address that.
Ironic that the greens are somehow looking for the former head of Exxon to save thier free cheese scheme. Don’t they have the New York Attorney General investigating him for climate change denial.

January 31, 2017 10:50 am

Impressive interview. Lots of moving parts. Unfccc withdrawal is only one year notice, automatically scotchs GCF and Paris, and follows directly from existing US law on Palestine recognition mandating defunding, with 2011 UNESCO precedent. Congress act to remove endangerment finding per 1990 CCA Amendments congressional intent to avoid interminable litigation. FERC. Musk and his subsidy mining. Harrabin going bonkers. This is fun.
And last night the first “Your fired” followed by Democratic Senate temper tantrums this morning. Friday’s immigration EO was vetted by none other than the DoJ OLC under Yates so all the ‘illegal’ ‘unconstitutional’ noise is just that.

Nigel S
Reply to  ristvan
January 31, 2017 11:10 am

Agree the Musk comment was the highlight.
‘an experimental financial services company …’
Devonshire Research Group
How long will it take Trump to work Musk out? Any lingering doubts about the motives of the whole “Climate-Industrial Complex” should disappear then.

Mark from the Midwest
Reply to  ristvan
January 31, 2017 11:10 am

Wouldn’t it make more sense to remove the endangerment finding by unwinding the EPA rule making process? It could be done in as little as 8-9 months. Any potential litigation would come from either CA or NY, (possibly MA), but could be fast-tracked to a new-and-improved Supreme Court, which has already refused to rule on the scientific substance. As it is now the Dems could hold up the action in the Senate for a long, long time, and Congress has many other fish to fry right now.

Reply to  Mark from the Midwest
January 31, 2017 11:25 am

Mark, followed immediately by California/Oregon/Washington/New York lawsuit. And the court problem is that an endangerment finding already exists based on IPCC so undoing it looks like politics more than science. Much more certain is Congress simply declaring CO2 is not a pollutant under CCA, a bill Trump would sign. The problem is Senate cloture at 60 votes. Don’t know if there are enough dems willing to go along from coal states. Means either the nuclear option (think not desirable) or wait until after 2018 elections hoping to pick up more seats. 8 dems up for re-election in states Trump won. No harm in waiting since CPP is stayed pending constitutionality ruling. Key is tonights SCOTUS nominee.

markl
Reply to  ristvan
January 31, 2017 11:32 am

“Means either the nuclear option (think not desirable)..” Why? Sounds too PC to me not to use it. Is there another reason you’re alluding to?

Reply to  Mark from the Midwest
January 31, 2017 1:32 pm

As Dems are now dinding out about Pres appointments except for supreme court, when the political pendulum swings the other way it it blows up in your face. Changing cloture to simple majority makes passing legislation in the Senate too easy in my opinion. The best laws, in my opinion, have some degree of bipartisan support. Has helped stabilize Congress via senate ‘drag’ since rule 22 put in place in 1917. An extension of constitutional thinking about why Senate has 6 year staggered term unlike House. DeToqueville warned about simple majority democracy.

Mike the Morlock
Reply to  Mark from the Midwest
January 31, 2017 6:12 pm

ristvan January 31, 2017 at 11:25 am
DeToqueville warned about simple majority democracy.
very good points.
People forget how fragile government is. We don’t want a Marius or a Sulla,
michael

Reply to  ristvan
January 31, 2017 1:25 pm

ristvan –
Agree, very impressive, very straight talking, great clarity, every word considered. Maybe Harrabin did score one point – that is, there’s a lot more to US auto industry problems than energy prices. But that’s a small thing and slightly off-topic. Nice to see the green attendees somewhat cowed, knowing their usual pleadings wouldn’t cut it.
Never heard Ebell speak before. Count me as a fan.

Schrodinger's Cat
January 31, 2017 11:03 am

Decent scientists around the world believe that climate science is sound because it has been peer reviewed. These people argue passionately that those who oppose the science are deranged, in pay of Big Oil or trouble makers.
Pulling out of the Paris agreement or dismantling the EPA will just make these people scream louder. These things have to be done, but they don’t win arguments. The new administration must find some way to expose what has been passed as science and get it cleaned up. It is the flawed science that underpins the whole scheme. Dealing with that gets to the heart of the matter.

markl
Reply to  Schrodinger's Cat
January 31, 2017 11:15 am

Yes, but first you must get peoples’ attention.

Reply to  Schrodinger's Cat
January 31, 2017 11:30 am

SC, yes. Both things need to be done. Waiting for the next IPCC is not the way. To long a wait, too biased a process. Congressional hearings. Independent task force like Challenger commission. Meanwhile truthful rebuttal soundbites with real punch and simple charts like Christy’s model reality divergence or some of Heller’s data fiddle stuff or the aurfacestations results.

Reply to  ristvan
January 31, 2017 1:29 pm

Sounds good, but surely makeup of the commission would be key. For the Challenger there wasn’t going to be any opposition to the choice of commissioners. This is different. And there’s no Feynman today.

CheshireRed
Reply to  Schrodinger's Cat
January 31, 2017 11:43 am

@Schrodinger’s Cat January 31, 2017 at 11:03 am
The established way to get awkward policy through is to get an ‘independent’ report written up as evidence. (Eg Stern review) On the back of that the policy can be justified and passed. He needs a killer report on the failure of AGW theory and preferably a couple of confessions from insiders. If he does that AGW is dead.

hunter
Reply to  Schrodinger's Cat
January 31, 2017 3:21 pm

A good place to start is for a brave soul to show the documented evidence for faux science going back to Ehrlich and the population non-crisis. Then completely audit the revolving door st the EPA.

Brian H
Reply to  Schrodinger's Cat
February 1, 2017 3:08 am

Peer review is not much more than proofreading for egregious error. One reviewer claimed an average of 216 articles/day.

Griff
Reply to  Schrodinger's Cat
February 2, 2017 3:23 am

and because their own evaluation of the data shows it is sound and because all the data supports the science, across multiple scientific areas and disciplines.

Ric Haldane
January 31, 2017 11:21 am

Whistle blowers will come forward from NASA,NOAA,EPA,DOE,etc. That is when the truth will out.

Reply to  Ric Haldane
January 31, 2017 12:06 pm

In fact, like any closely-held criminal conspiracy, insider whistleblowers are the ONLY way to break up the fraud.
Think Bernie Madoff (undone by his son blowing the whistle); Mafia insider informants (Valachi and others); Watergate (Mark Felt, ‘Deep Throat’); the Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg); NYPD corruption (Frank Serpico); Enron’s massive fraud (whistleblower Sharon Watkins); Israel’s illicit nuclear weapons production (Mordechai Vanunu); Clinton cover-ups (Linda Tripp); and a myriad of recent whistleblowers who revealed federal grant fraud and were well-compensated for their efforts under the False Claims Act.
Full details to share with all climate scientists. The time for insiders to speak up is now!
https://realclimatescience.com/2016/09/climate-fraud-whistleblower-rewards-program/

Reply to  Ric Haldane
January 31, 2017 12:09 pm

In fact, like any closely-held criminal conspiracy, insider whistleblowers are the ONLY way to break up the fraud.
Think Bernie Madoff (undone by his son blowing the whistle); Mafia insider informants (Valachi and others); Watergate (Mark Felt, ‘Deep Throat’); the Pentagon Papers (Daniel Ellsberg); NYPD corruption (Frank Serpico); Enron’s massive fraud (whistleblower Sharon Watkins); Israel’s illicit nuclear weapons production (Mordechai Vanunu); Clinton cover-ups (Linda Tripp); and a myriad of recent whistleblowers who revealed federal grant fraud and were well-compensated for their efforts under the False Claims Act.
Full details to share with all climate scientists. The time for insiders to speak up is now!

MarkW
Reply to  kentclizbe
January 31, 2017 12:24 pm

The first to break from the pack is a courageous whistleblower.
The last to break is a criminal.
It’s up to you as to which category you want history to remember you as.

Griff
Reply to  kentclizbe
February 2, 2017 3:22 am

and in all these years, where have the whistleblowers been?
I can think of many areas of science and journalism where fake stories and fake research data have been exposed.
and yet, nobody called out on climate change.

Reply to  Griff
February 2, 2017 4:12 am

Don’t worry, once they realize the worm has turned, the ship is sinking, the rats will begin to leave the ship. When the investigatory agencies were controlled by co-conspirators, potential whistleblowers saw the risk-reward equation weighed down on the risk side.
How long did Madoff’s fraud continue? Do you know?
The key is to have a concerted investigation, and to have the authorities on the side of the angels. We have one of those variables now.
You just keep gloating. Join Michael Mann at his Deniers Ball. Dance and laugh. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick……

markl
Reply to  Griff
February 2, 2017 8:23 am

Griff commented: “…and in all these years, where have the whistleblowers been?…”
They lost their jobs or were censured for their honesty. After the first few were sacked nobody dared raise their head above the parapet. Consensus? More like threat.

Resourceguy
January 31, 2017 11:23 am

He’s impressive at stripping hype down to the bone and showing what is important in a rational way. The EU could learn something from this guy if they wanted to avoid the Greek tragedy of financial ruin and the shock and awe of reality.

Janice Moore
January 31, 2017 11:33 am

{It seems to me…. a few of the libs out there could use some reminding, thus, this comment, here.}
********************************************************************
@ all the “Trump resisters”
You are not resisting Trump.
You are resisting AMERICA.
Latinos for Trump (for just one example — Asians, Blacks, Women, Bikers, and on and on, i.e., America, voted for Trump on Nov. 8.. — Proof: Trump won.)

(youtube)
Our new — FINALLY — tough, anti-!sl@mic terror, immigration policy is America’s policy.
Our SOON-to-happen — FINALLY! — data-based science policy is America’s policy.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee– haaaaawwww!!!
#(:))
Christmas — every — DAY! 🙂

knr
January 31, 2017 11:35 am

It will be interesting to see how many are committed to ‘saving the planet ‘ when there is not fat paycheck coming with it .

J Mac
January 31, 2017 11:52 am

Somebody pinch me….. Another good day, in ‘The News’!
God bless America, and all who love the USA!

Hugh Davis
January 31, 2017 12:22 pm

One of the most enjoyable part of the briefing was watching the BBC’s environmental liar-in-chief Roger Harrabin getting worked up to near fury as it finally sunk in that his career will soon be ending in ignominy.

Griff
Reply to  Hugh Davis
February 2, 2017 3:25 am

Well it won’t will it?
because only the US has an anti climate change government.

Nigel S
Reply to  Griff
February 4, 2017 1:30 am

The tsunami from the other side of the pond will get a far as York Street be sure of that.

AndyG55
Reply to  Griff
February 4, 2017 1:34 am

griff, you are the one ignoring changes in climate from the first 3/4 of the Holocene.
It is YOU that is the Climate Change Denier.

Harry Passfield
January 31, 2017 1:11 pm

Ebell was very cool. I just loved the way truth completely screws the questioner who tried to make something of Ebell’s links to Trump: He was asked: ‘Have you met Trump, what’s he like?’ To which Ebell replied: ‘Nope. Never met him.’ You could just – to coin a phrase – feel the oxygen being sucked out of the room. Brilliant.

January 31, 2017 1:23 pm

My only problem with the article is the assertion that Palestine is not internationally recognised as a state. This is not so. Resolution 43/177 explicitly recognises it as a state and 137 UN member nations recognise Palestine as a state. And indeed Palestine has existed in both the historical and archaeological record for millennia. Which is more than can be said for Israel.

nn
Reply to  Craig (@Zoot_C)
January 31, 2017 1:58 pm

The territory “Palestine”, yes. Not the nation. That’s a modern creation.

Hugh Davis
Reply to  Craig (@Zoot_C)
January 31, 2017 2:03 pm

Craig.
Myron Ebell stated quite correctly that Palestine was only accepted as a full member of the UN in March 2016. This is what made Obama’s second $500m contribution to the UNFCCC last month illegal under US law. What is your point?

ralfellis
Reply to  Craig (@Zoot_C)
January 31, 2017 3:52 pm

Incidentally, the original Palestinians were the Peleset, and they were proto-Greek speaking Macedonians who arrived with the Sea People in the 12th century BC. The Bible called them the Philistines. But they were all exterminated and exiled in the 7th century AD by the invading Mslim Arab armies, who not only took their lands but stole their name too. So of all the melee of tribes, cultures and nations in that region, the Arab pseudo-Palestinians have the least claim on the region.
R

Catcracking
Reply to  ralfellis
February 1, 2017 10:42 am

R, thanks for the brief History lesson on a period that I know little about

Mike the Morlock
Reply to  Craig (@Zoot_C)
January 31, 2017 6:26 pm

Craig (@Zoot_C) January 31, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Palestine as a state, as you imagine it never existed. Thought the Jewish State did.
Here is an account of the situation of the region in 1260AD
No Palestine. Sorry.
https://www.strategypage.com/articles/?target=mongol.htm
michael

Bruce Cobb
January 31, 2017 1:23 pm

Without the US, the Paris “agreement” is toast, and a dead parrott. It will be no more, it will cease to exist, and will be pushing up daisies.

nn
January 31, 2017 1:54 pm

Carbon Markets and Green Blight most affected.

Roger Knights
Reply to  nn
February 1, 2017 12:40 am

And climb-atologists.

TG
January 31, 2017 4:02 pm

This is the sweetest sound I ever heard. Good riddance UN, IPPC and the warmist rent seekers!!!
Thank you Mr President.

January 31, 2017 6:51 pm

Is a ‘raspberry’ ‘discussing?’ It’s participating.

Mickey Reno
February 1, 2017 8:37 am

Please spend the hour watching this presser. It’s well worth your time. Ebell is brilliant. There’s a couple of very interesting exchanges with the snowflakes and dewdrops in the far left UK media, one around the 23 minute mark, and another near the end, in which Ebell talks about an imperious “Expertariat” and the “Climate Industrial Complex” and arguing that people’s rejection of this powerful interest group is seen in Trump’s election as well as in the Brexit vote. Near the end, Ebell opines that the modern environmental movement has morphed into a totalitarian threat to political liberty. The green heads in the room seemed very flummoxed throughout, as if they’d never heard any of these arguments before.

David Cage
February 1, 2017 10:14 am

I do wish Trump would reassign even a small part of the climate science budget to universities that previously had little or no involvement to highlight all the deficiencies in the science and the data used by the climate science fraternity. If a research grant is for proving CO2 causes climate change all data that does not back the premise is ignored giving an ever growing body of selective circumstantial evidence that appears plausible.
If the grant is to highlight deficiencies then if the science is indeed beyond reproach then there will be none.

Catcracking
Reply to  David Cage
February 1, 2017 10:54 am

David,
I doubt any research is needed, just look at the raw data and this alone exposes the gross exaggerations. The temperature has not responded to CO 2 increase, or decrease. Data is king, all that research with a computer is just garbage. Having some experience with smaller models it is obvious that a computer model is useless without and understanding of all the physics and chemistry of how the medium in question responds in order to write the equations. Also one needs to know the boundary conditions, etc. The earth’s systems are much to complicated to accurately model.

Griff
Reply to  Catcracking
February 2, 2017 3:20 am

Again I mention the Berkley Earth project, where skeptics funded exactly that research.
and what did it find?

markl
Reply to  David Cage
February 1, 2017 11:00 am

Just change all the grants to disprove AGW and he’s done. It would be interesting to see how many people/institutions would do a 180 for the $.

February 1, 2017 10:47 am

GOD VERSUS CO2 BY STEVE FINNELL
Can God’s control over climate and weather be modified, or amended by made-made CO2 emissions? Is it possible to void the miracles of God by the actions of man-made CO2 emissions?
Genesis 7:12 The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. (NASB)
Could controlling man-made CO2 emissions have prevented forty days of rain and the great flood? Of course not.
Jonah 4:8 When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.” (NASB)
Would it have been possible for Jonah to be spared the scorching wind if men had controlled their man-made CO2 emissions? Certainly not.
Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.”(NASB)
Can restricting man-made CO2 emissions determine cold, heat, the temperature in summer and winter. Can man-made CO2 emissions control the seasons. No it cannot.
If men who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ believe that man-made CO2 emissions can control weather, climate, and seasons, then, why would anyone look to them for spiritual guidance concerning salvation?
Psalms 148:8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; (NASB)
This fulfills God’s word, what does man-made CO2 fulfill?
Job 1:16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them , and I alone have escaped to tell you.” (NASB)
If men would have restricted their CO2 emission, could they have prevented God from destroying Job’s sheep, and servants? No, of course not.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (NASB)
No amount of man-made CO2 modifications, can cause or prevent the earth from be burned up.
Revelations 20:14-15 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Men need to stop worrying about the false doctrine of man-made global warming and start being concerned about the warming in the lake of fire.
How to get your name written in the book of life.
1. Faith: John 3:16
2. Confession: Romans 10:9
3. Repentance: Acts 3:19
4. Immersion in Water: Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38
YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG>> steve-finnell.blogspot.com

Amber
February 2, 2017 4:55 pm

Re Paris Treaty pull out …. Hope he does but I will believe it when I see it . He has got a mega phone in his ear on this and the hoax promoters will do anything to keep the fraud going . It is no accident the green mafia keep getting meetings .
If he bails on keeping his commitment you will know a whole bunch more BS was spread in that 100 day plan . We will see . I am thinking weasel words …. like studying the issue .