FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Contact: Trey Pollard trey.pollard@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club: “Scientists, like the vast majority of Americans, do not trust the Trump Administration with the truth.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last night, the New York Times reported on a draft version of the National Climate Assessment that confirms what the vast majority of climate science research has made clear: global temperatures are the highest they have been in 1,500 years and that is largely attributable to human activity, like burning fossil fuels. Reportedly, this draft assessment was provided to the media because the scientists who authored it were concerned the Trump Administration would suppress it.
The National Climate Assessment is mandated by Congress and authored by independent scientists. It is scheduled to be officially released next year.
In response, Sierra Club Climate Policy Director Liz Perera released the following statement:
"The world is warming, the seas are rising, and Donald Trump still has his head in the sand. This report makes it clear that by ignoring the reality of the climate crisis, the Trump Administration is putting the health of our communities and our families at risk. We are seeing this report now because scientists, like the vast majority of Americans, do not trust the Trump Administration with the truth.
“The truth is we are facing a climate crisis that demands we move away from burning fossil fuels to a clean energy economy. That’s a position backed by the overwhelming majority of research and supported by the majority of the American public. That’s why Trump’s decision to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement, shred clean air and water safeguards, and turn his back on the hundreds of thousands of jobs in the clean energy economy just to help corporate polluters have helped make him the most unpopular President in modern history.
“Trump cannot hide from the truth. No matter how many coal and oil lobbyists descend on this report to try and scrub reality away, they will never be able to alter science with politics and rhetoric. That’s why it is more important than ever to keep up the fight against the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the health of the public and the planet.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.