Environment & Energy

Eugene

(61,900 posts) Mon Nov 23, 2015, 03:37 PM Nov 2015

First EPA chief accuses Republicans of ignoring science for political gain

Source: The Guardian

First EPA chief accuses Republicans of ignoring science for political gain

Oliver Milman in New York
Monday 23 November 2015 12.00 GMT

The man considered the father figure of environmental protection in the US has attacked Republicans for “going through all the stages of denial” over climate change, accusing leading presidential contenders Donald Trump and Marco Rubio of ignoring science for political gain.

William Ruckelshaus, who on Tuesday is to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the presidential medal of freedom, told the Guardian that leading Republicans are harming the US’s reputation by attempting to stymie efforts to tackle climate change.

The criticism is particularly stinging as Ruckelshaus previously ran for election as a Republican and was appointed by Richard Nixon as the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Ronald Reagan appointed him to a second term at the federal regulator in 1983.

“The (Obama) administration is trying to lead on climate change but they aren’t getting much support from the Republicans who have turned it into a partisan issue, which is too bad,” Ruckelshaus said. “If they are successful, that will set us back a fair bit. It won’t look good to the world and it won’t be good for the US.”

Republican leaders, who have signaled their opposition to any deal at looming climate talks in Paris, have attempted to dismantle key elements of Barack Obama’s strategy to lower emissions.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/23/epa-william-ruckelshaus-republicans-climate-change

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First EPA chief accuses Republicans of ignoring science for political gain (Original Post) Eugene Nov 2015 OP

Good for him! KT2000 Nov 2015 #1

KT2000

(20,583 posts)

1. Good for him!

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Mon Nov 23, 2015, 05:09 PM

Nov 2015

He is now working for cleanup of Washington State's waterways.

from Wiki:
Of his two tenures at EPA, Ruckelshaus later reflected:

I've had an awful lot of jobs in my lifetime, and in moving from one to another, have had the opportunity to think about what makes them worthwhile. I've concluded there are four important criteria: interest, excitement, challenge, and fulfillment. I've never worked anywhere where I could find all four to quite the same extent as at EPA. I can find interest, challenge, and excitement as [board chair of a company]. I do have an interesting job. But it is tough to find the same degree of fulfillment I found in the government. At EPA, you work for a cause that is beyond self-interest and larger than the goals people normally pursue. You're not there for the money, you're there for something beyond yourself.[4]

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