Energy & Environment — EPA nominee says US should 'adapt' to climate change

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View Online Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story  Trump pick says US needs to 'adapt' to climate change President Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office in charge of climate change and air pollution said Wednesday that the U.S. should "adapt to" rather than try to minimize climate change. © Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press file Aaron Szabo's comment came during questions from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.  "What are key climate tipping points that you would watch in your position to try to avoid?" Whitehouse asked.   "I believe that the climate is changing. I believe that it is important for us to adapt to any change, including those that occur with respect to climate," said Szabo, who, if confirmed, will lead the EPA's Air and Radiation office.    "Not to mitigate to prevent it, just to adapt to it?" Whitehouse asked.   "I'm currently — and if confirmed — am bound by the laws that Congress has established," Szabo replied.    Whitehouse then asked him if people are "now on a pathway to climate safety, or do we need to do more to reduce carbon emissions in order to get out of that pathway?"   "I believe that we need to be adapting to all changes, including those to the climate," Szabo replied.    Read more at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.  Quotes of note from President Trump's joint address Trump previewed a forthcoming minerals action, saying "later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the USA." He did not elaborate. He also vowed to take on environmental "toxins" saying "our goal is to get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of our food supply and keep our children healthy and strong. However, he has also pledged to take a deregulatory stance and has appointed chemical industry alumni to key roles in his administration. He said his administration is "working on a gigantic natural gas pipeline in Alaska," saying Japan, South Korea and other nations "want to be our partner with investments of trillions of dollars." Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: State Department halts global air pollution monitoring program The State Department will no longer share data about foreign air pollution under a program that it says is designed to help U.S. personnel and travelers abroad.  Full Story Supreme Court appears divided on offsite nuclear waste storage The Supreme Court appeared split Wednesday on the question of whether the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the authority to license private, temporary offsite storage of nuclear waste.  Full Story Stacey Abrams invokes Musk in rebuking Trump allegations Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams defended herself after President Trump invoked her name in his address Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress.  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Federal board orders USDA to temporarily reinstate dismissed probationary workers The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to temporarily reinstate all probationary employees fired by the Trump administration. Full Story What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: El Paso Is Going to Turn Wastewater Into Drinking Water. Other Cities Will Soon Follow (Inside Climate News)   Half of world's CO2 emissions come from 36 fossil fuel firms, study shows (The Guardian) Nuclear Power's Revival Is Here. What Do You Do With All the Radioactive Waste? (The Wall Street Journal) On Tap  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on the Fix our Forests Act and reducing wildfires. What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Democrats suffer Trump joint address hangover: 'Self owns and unhinged petulance' Democrats woke up furious the morning after some sought to bring the fight to President Trump during his address Tuesday to a joint session Congress, arguing their protests had backfired and underscored why their party lost November’s election in the first place.  Read more Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 jobs from VA The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to cut 80,000 jobs as part of an "aggressive" reorganization of the agency this summer, according to The Associated Press, which cited an internal memo it obtained. Read more   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Energy & Environment page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? 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