CLIMATE CHANGE/EPA: “The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled speaking appearances by three of its scientists set to speak at a Rhode Island conference Monday.
The New York Times first reported that the agency scientists, who were expected to address climate change during their talks to present a 500-page report, were removed from the program at the request of the EPA on Friday. An EPA official told Tom Borden, the program director for the conference, that the scientists would not be allowed to speak, according to the Times.
The EPA clarified in a statement that scientists would be present but not speak…
The EPA did not respond when asked by CNN for the reasoning behind not allowing the scientists to speak…
The speaking cancellations come alongside several changes at the EPA under the Trump administration. Under EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the agency has moved to have a political appointee screen its grant solicitations, according to E&E News and The Washington Post. In addition, Pruitt’s schedules show a majority of his meetings have been with fossil fuel industry stakeholders, while 1% of his meetings have been with environmentalist or science groups.”
-Maegan Vazquez and Rene Marsh, “EPA pulls scientists out of climate change conference talk,” CNN politics, CNN.com, Oct. 24, 2017 07:35am