‘We’re knocking ourselves back into the Stone Age’: Republican administrator slams EPA as it omits this specific cause of climate change

The Environmental Protection Agency has completely removed any mention of fossil fuels, which are the primary drivers of global warming, from its popular online page detailing the causes of climate change, as reported by AP News. This alteration was made sometime in the past few days or weeks, de-emphasizing and even deleting references to the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.

If you head to the EPA website now, you’ll find that the page only lists natural phenomena like changes in Earth’s orbit, solar activity, Earth’s reflectivity, volcanoes, and natural carbon dioxide fluctuations. It’s a huge omission because scientists are clear: nearly all of the warming we’re experiencing is due to human activity.

The old version of the page, saved by the Internet Wayback Machine, explicitly stated that human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution, which changed the earth’s climate. That October version also noted that natural processes “do not explain the warming that we have observed over the last century.” The updated page now says that natural processes “cannot be explained by natural causes alone,” but it fails to identify the real culprit.

Scientists and former EPA officials are calling the move misleading and harmful

University of California climate scientist Daniel Swain was blunt, saying, “Now it is completely wrong.” He pointed out that the EPA site used to be a fantastic resource for the U.S. and that educators relied on it extensively. Worse yet, links on the site regarding climate change risks and indicators are currently broken.

Swain and other scientists emphasize just how critical human activity is. They calculate that nearly 100 percent of the current warming is due to human actions. Without that input, the Earth would actually be cooling and dropping in temperature right up until the Industrial Revolution. It seems the natural causes the EPA lists might only be responsible for a very tiny amount of temperature change right now.

Even some Republicans are slamming the move. Christie Todd Whitman, who served as EPA administrator under President George W. Bush, said that refusing to discuss climate change doesn’t make it disappear. Whitman told the AP, “We look ridiculous, quite frankly.” She added that the rest of the world is taking steps to address warming while the U.S. goes backward, concluding, “We’re knocking ourselves back into the Stone Age.”

Democratic EPA chief Gina McCarthy blasted current EPA chief Lee Zeldin, calling him “a wolf in sheep’s clothing, actively spiking any attempt to protect our health, well-being and precious natural resources.” Jane Lubchenco, the former Obama National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief, didn’t hold back either. She stated, “It is outrageous that our government is hiding information and lying.” With the EPA allowing PFAs in pesticides to be used in our crops and cutting funds from lifesaving cures, this seems like a fair assessment.

The current administration defended the changes. Brigit Hirsch, an EPA spokesperson, said via email that the Trump EPA is focused on “protecting human health and the environment while Powering the Great American Comeback, not left-wing political agendas.” She also stated that the agency “no longer takes marching orders from the climate cult.”