Who Is The Man Boycotting American Climate Action?

Scott Pruitt, the current administrator of the EPA (the US Environmental Protection Agency), is a climate change denier. We already knew that when he was appointed to the seat last February. We knew he was going to fight back against regulations such as the Clean Power Plan and the Clean Air Act. He's the man who pushed America out of Paris.

Why would anyone want to go back to a polluted and dangerous world? And how can he be so unapologetic about it?

"We owe no apologies to other nations for our environmental stewardship." (Scott Pruitt, during Trump's announcement of America's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement)

In this long read profile, Jeff Goodell outlines Scott Pruitt's political evolution, from his origins as an anti-abortion zealot to his likely future as an Oklahoma representative in the Senate or beyond. Goodell brings in literally dozens of sources to explain how Pruitt turned anti-government, attracted the fossil fuel industry's money and became a beacon for dirty power lobbyists all over the country. All while getting rich and, now, destroying the EPA.

When I bring stories to this channel, I try to choose those that look at global angles. I don't like to stick to American issues because, more often than not, these run into very local topics that global readers are usually not interested in. However, in this case, the profile is not just a matter of local politics. It's a great profile of how American politicians build a career and how the money flows from corporations into politics (and into politicians' pockets).

This is a rare glimpse into a system that rewards reckless ambition and where zealots and hypocrites soar on dark money sources. A system that we need to keep under control if we want a shot against climate change.

That said, Goodell's style didn't convince me. The author uses and abuses loaded terms and his dislike of Pruitt is apparent. It was not necessary. Let the facts speak for themselves and they'll be even stronger.