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Quigley, SEEC Colleagues Educate Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt on Climate Science

March 14, 2017

WASHINGTON – In a recent interview on CNBC's Squawk Box, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said carbon dioxide is not a "primary contributor" to climate change. In response, Rep.Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition (SEEC) and 32 of his colleagues will send a letter to Pruitt with educational materials outlining the basic established science behind climate change. As Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt must understand these non-controversial concepts, and this letter seeks to educate him.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Administrator Pruitt,

We saw your comments last week on CNBC's Squawk Box. It's clear that you need to read the enclosed reports. We look forward to hearing your response.

Sincerely,

Enclosed with the letter is a copy of the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Climate Literacy Guide, a climate-oriented approach for learners of all ages. This guide was developed by current climate scientists, formal and informal educators, and representatives of a range of U.S. agencies in order to explain a number of the important concepts behind climate change. In addition, the letter includes a copy of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis report, and highlights from the latest U.S. National Climate Assessment.

The letter was signed by Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Suzanne Bonamici, Emanuel Cleaver II, Steve Cohen, Peter DeFazio, Mark DeSaulnier, Lloyd Doggett, Adriano Espaillat, Raul Grijalva, Colleen Hanabusa, Alcee L. Hastings, Denny Heck, Pramila Jayapal, Brenda L. Lawrence, Barbara Lee, Ted Lieu, Betty McCollum, Donald McEachin, James P. McGovern, Jerrold Nadler, Ed Perlmutter, Mark Pocan, Jared Polis, Jamie Raskin, Jan Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Niki Tsongas, Juan Vargas, Nydia M. Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and John Yarmuth.

Issues: