Hundreds of earth scientists and energy experts have signed a new letter outlining six steps President-elect Donald Trump should take to combat climate change.
The scientists, who include the heads of major university geoscience departments as well as 800 professors and Ph.D. students from 46 states, recommend that the Trump administration use some of the $1 trillion from its infrastructure plan to expand renewable energy resources.
They recommend that Trump, who has said he believes global warming is a Chinese hoax, recognize that human activity is fueling climate change. They also recommend his administration appoint staffers who also acknowledge climate science and to stick with the Paris climate agreement.
"We urge you to decide if you want your Presidency to be defined by denial and disaster, or acceptance and action," they wrote.
The group includes Harvard University climate historian Naomi Oreskes, Pennsylvania State University climatologist Michael Mann and Stanford University energy modeler Mark Jacobson. They argue that climate change is an economic and national security issue, and told Trump that stripping funding from climate science, as one of his advisers has threatened to do, would endanger the lives of countless Americans.
The letter follows a similar plea last week from 2,300 scientists who demanded the Trump administration "adhere to high standards of scientific integrity and independence in responding to current and emerging public health and environmental health threats."
Thus far, the Trump administration has given little indication that it will craft policy around climate science, though former Vice President Al Gore did meet with Trump about the issue yesterday and said they had an "interesting" conversation.
