Trump picks "fanatical ideological clown" Myron Ebell to gut EPA, millions of lives may be at risk

President-elect Donald Trump has made one of his first moves to fulfill his many anti-environmental campaign promises. He has appointed Myron Ebell, one of the world's leading climate contrarians, to lead Trump's effort to redesign - some would say "dismantle" - the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rebuild it in Trump's image.

Photo: Myron Ebell Facebook Page, Fair Use

Under Ebell's guidance, the new administration appears to be willing to throw in the trash existing and proposed EPA regulations that address not only climate change, but also those that protect the health and lives of millions of Americans.

This is all being done under the mistaken belief that environmental regulations are based on faulty science and do not benefit the public.

Ebell has been called a "fanatical ideologue" and a "nut" by David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council and a "clown" by others who, to say the least, do not think highly of his expertise (or lack of it) or his opinions.

He directs environmental and energy policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Much of the funding for that organization comes from the fossil fuel industry, in particular large coal producers such as the Murray Energy Corporation.

Ebell also chairs the Cooler Heads Coalition which refers to global warming as a hoax and a myth based on flawed scientific, economic, and risk analysis. Ebell is not a scientist but has referred to those who are experts in the field as third-, fourth-, and fifth-rate scientists.

Every single argument that Ebell has raised about climate change being a hoax or that there is no scientific consensus has been easily rebutted. For a comprehensive list of such nonsensical claims as his, try this link: Skeptical Science