Scott Pruitt: CO2 Not Primary Contributor To Global Warming

Scott Pruitt, the newly appointed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, recently said he does not believe that carbon dioxide is the primary contributor to global warming.

Scott Pruitt told Squawk Box that measuring human activity on climate is challenging to do. He further added that he does not agree that CO2 is a primary contributor to global warming. This stance, as noted, contradicts to the public stance of the EPA, which stated on its webpage that "Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas that is contributing to the recent climate change."

Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii and co-chair of the Senate Climate Action Task Force then slammed Pruitt for his comments. He said that his views are "extreme" and "irresponsible." He also said that the Senate needs to stand up to Pruitt and his views, as these are very "dangerous."

However, TIME noted that Scott Pruitt's denial of climate science also had him breaking promises over the last months. These include recognizing climate reality, standing up for science, fighting all forms of pollution, enforcing clean air and water rules, and being consistent on states' rights.

The news site also noted that the EPA has made the U.S. a cleaner and healthier place since it was established in the 1970s. The Clean Air Act alone saves at least 220,000 American lives a year and prevents 2.4 million asthma attacks.

Democrats and environmentalists opposed Scott Pruiit's nomination for the EPA chief in the first place due to his relationship with fossil fuel companies. However, he maintaned in his statement that it is possible to be pro-growth, pro-jobs and pro-environment. "This idea that if you're pro-environment you're anti-energy is just something we've got to change so that attitude is something we're working on very much," he shared.

Among his other "anti-environment" statements also included his calling the Paris Agreement a "bad deal." It is because it puts the U.S. on a different playing field than on developing countries including India and China.