Pirate's Cove

Adaption is all about government controlling the lives of the peasants, while the people forcing this down the throats of the peasants refuse to make changes in their own lives

EPA nominee says US should adapt to, not mitigate, climate change

President Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office in charge of climate change and air pollution said Wednesday that the U.S. should “adapt to” rather than try to minimize climate change.

Aaron Szabo’s comment came during questions from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

“What are key climate tipping points that you would watch in your position to try to avoid?” Whitehouse asked.

“I believe that the climate is changing. I believe that it is important for us to adapt to any change, including those that occur with respect to climate,” said Szabo, who, if confirmed, will lead the EPA’s Air and Radiation office.

“Not to mitigate to prevent it, just to adapt to it?” Whitehouse asked.

“I’m currently — and if confirmed and — bound by the laws that Congress has established,” Szabo replied.

Szabo continued on when he asked Whitehouse how he’s mitigated it in his own life. If he’s replaced his fossil fueled vehicles with an EV. If he takes the train to D.C. instead of flying. If he takes the D.C. metro or the bus. Stopped eating meat……oh, wait, that’s just what I would say, but, as long as I’ve watched politics, I still do not speak diplomatically. Seeing Sheldon’s face go beat red would be worth it.

The phrase “climate adaptation” typically refers to actions that stem the impacts, but not the causes of climate change, such as building infrastructure to withstand flooding or other climate-change-related extreme weather. Scientists have expressed that both adaptation and a reduction in planet-warming emissions need to occur in order to prevent the worst impacts.

Even adaptation can cause too much Big Government, but, it’s a damned sight better. Because regardless of causation, it never hurts to do things to reduce how the slightly increased temperatures of the Modern Warm Period are felt. Especially when we are talking about land use and the Urban Heat Island effect.