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UPDATED Response from Abruzzo: Corbett’s DEP Pick Says No Harm from Climate Change

causes-of-global-warmingOne senator asked E. Christopher Abruzzo, Tom Corbett’s Nominee for Department of Environmental Protection Secretary whether he believed in climate change. Democrats were not pleased with his answer.

“I have not read any scientific studies that would lead me to conclude that there are adverse impacts to human beings or to animals or to plant life at this small level of climate change,” he said.

As StateImpact PA reported:

Abruzzo told the committee he does believe climate change is occurring and that it seems to be at least partially attributable to human factors, but he does not view it as harmful and sees no reason for Pennsylvania to adopt new policies to address it.

Abruzzo was appointed by Governor Tom Corbett to serve as Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Previously, he was Corbett’s Deputy Chief of Staff. His official confirmation hearing to drop the “Acting” from his title was held on Tuesday.

Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) contested Abruzzo’s answer, and eventually was the only Senator to vote against his confirmation.

“That’s odd,” Leach said, pointing to extensive media coverage of “the immediate and drastic results of climate change on species’ diversity, on human sustainability, on deaths from air pollution, on all kinds of things.”

Abruzzo shot back at Leach today in a letter.

While we may have differences on how best to address certain issues, it is imperative that we do so in a respectful manner that does not mischaracterize the position or statements of others. I was, therefore, disappointed to read your press release, which stated that I do not believe climate change is man-made; is not a problem; and that our state has absolutely no obligation to do anything whatsoever to address it. – I never made these statements, and they do not reflect my beliefs nor those of DEP or the Administration. To the contrary, I acknowledged that climate change is real, is affected by humans, and that I believe the people of Pennsylvania are doing their fair share to address what is, by definition, a global issue requiring a global response.

Today, more Democrats piled on Corbett and his choice of Abruzzo.

Katie McGinty, a gubernatorial candidate and herself former DEP Secretary, directed her criticism at Corbett.

“This walk-around is an unfortunate joke, of course,” she said. “But the real question is: what do you believe Tom Corbett?”

Corbett had previously been asked about his beliefs on climate change back in July.

“Well, what I believe is that we need to be able to provide jobs for the people of Pennsylvania. Whether you view that as climate change, I don’t know,” Corbett responded, deflecting from his own beliefs about climate change. “But I believe in trying to grow the jobs we need to come in with all forms of energy.”

“Christopher Abruzzo not only lacks the qualifications to lead the Department of Environmental Protection but his dangerous views could put Pennsylvania’s environment, natural resources and safety in jeopardy,” Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Allyson Schwartz said (D-Montgomery). “Given Abruzzo’s statements at his confirmation hearing, I call on Governor Corbett to withdraw his nomination.”

 

18 Responses

  1. If Observer won’t use his real name, how about his scientific name: homo retardus

  2. Matt, I recomend ignoring science-illiterate trolls like Observer whose only capabilities are insults, smears, and lies.

    Remember the motto of the Father of Statistical Process Control, W. E. Deming — “In God we trust, all others bring data.”

    No one can refute the FACT that Climate Science and its Models have been shredded by the UNPREDICTED 15 years of global temperature stagnation.

  3. LOL, your response was so predictable, you just won me a bet. Thanks!

    Look, nobody supports anonymous speech more than me, but to prove to anyone (including yourself) that you’re not a chicken, I dare you to use your real name.

  4. Good luck defending your thesis, “Dr.” Balazik, with that warped view of what the scientific method actually entails. You might want to learn how to fix that Bonneville yourself – good practice for your next profession.

  5. Like I said, it’s hard for folks to separate the science from the rhetoric. But, you can put my name on the empirical scientists’ side. All you’ll get from the warmists like “observer” these days are pseudonyms.

    BTW, someone please tell the Koch brothers that my ’99 Bonneville needs a new transmission.

  6. Wow! Nice to hear from the Lunatic Fringe Climate Science Deniers! Welcome to politics! Or are you just here at the bidding of your Bosses at Koch Industries? And how does it feel to try to assert what 99.99% of ALL scientists disagree with? What a jokester!

    And what a Joke Corbett’s nominee is – says something ON THE RECORD, on a transcript, and then Denies that he ever said it! Lololol… Stupid? Or Craven? You decide! Hey One-Term Tommy, that old dog won’t hunt! Come up with somebody slicker, wouldja?

    Corbett is sealing his legacy as worst one-term governor in state history. Gotta respect him for that!

  7. Abstract — We present a new stable isotope record from Ellsworth Land which provides a valuable 308 year record (1702–2009) of climate variability from coastal West Antarctica. Climate variability at this site is strongly forced by sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressure in the tropical Pacific and related to local sea ice conditions. The record shows that this region has warmed since the late 1950s, at a similar magnitude to that observed in the Antarctic Peninsula and central West Antarctica; however, this warming trend is not unique. More dramatic isotopic warming (and cooling) trends occurred in the mid-nineteenth and eighteenth centuries, suggesting that at present, the effect of anthropogenic climate drivers at this location has NOT EXCEEDED THE NATURAL RANGE OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY in the context of the PAST ~300 YEARS.

    Citation
    “A 308 year record of climate variability in West Antarctica,” by Elizabeth R. Thomas, Thomas J. Bracegirdle, John Turner, Eric W. Wolff published in Geophysical Research Letters. Article first published online: 18 OCT 2013 DOI: 10.1002/2013GL057782

  8. TommyD, get your facts right before you waste other people’s valuable time! Pacific Islands are NOT DROWNING, polar bears are NOT DYING, Antarctica is NOT MELTING, and the sea level rise has not increased from the same LINEAR annual increase rate it has had since 1800.

  9. But, Paul and Matthew, but this is about Abruzzo, who believes it is warming but doesn’t believe anything bad is happening, even as Pacific atolls sink beneath the waves, and whether someone so confused should be DEP secretary.

  10. Carbon dioxide has increased 30 parts per million in the last 15 years. Water vapor (the dominant greenhouse gas) is alleged to be increased in the atmosphere. YET there has been NO WARMING in these 15 years. This means that today’s Climate Science is garbage with many climate processes and principles yet undiscovered. It also means the computer models based on this defective science are garbage. E. Christopher Abruzzo has just told this “heresy” to eco-fanatics who cannot stand this apostasy from their religious belief in a Global Warming Crisis. Policy decisions must NEVER be based on garbage science or religious beliefs..

  11. As a former government paid US Global Change researcher, I can confirm that global warming Is a manufactured crisis. The public’s difficulty coming to that consensus is understandable as it’s not been easy for them to discern the science through the rhetoric.

    No thanks to the press, but how many readers here know that by the IPCC’s own readings, temperature measurements have been steadily trending toward the bottom bound of it’s most conservative models’, and last year actually fell outside that lower confidence interval?

    To put it in layman’s terms, that means the models are worthless. You’d think that’d be headline news, but to the religious left (and news outlets that no longer even publish opinions that compromise their need for an environmental boogeyman http://nypost.com/2013/12/05/global-warming-proof-is-evaporating/), it is simply too embarrassing to talk about.

  12. His comments are ridiculous but what I find even more deplorable is the fact that he has absolutely no background that provides qualifications for him to do this job. He worked at the AG’s office with Corbett and was then on Corbett’s executive staff. It’s one more indication of the contempt Corbett has towards our environmental problems, which are visible for anyone who has eyes in their head.

  13. As I think of The Simpsons and their long list of characters, it occurs to me that Tom Corporate would fit right into the cartoon. He and his long list of blunders and arrogant greed confirm that truth is stranger than fiction. Corbett is by far the worst American politician of my lifetime, possible the free world! This is just my humble opinion. What say you?

  14. You news editorss tell our kids it WILL be a crisis while science hasn’t agreed beyond “could be” a crisis so at least know what the consensus is that you are agreeing on?
    Not one IPCC warning says; “will be” or “inevitable”.
    You must do as science; NEVER say it WILL be, only “could be”.

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