--- title: EPA Head Scott Pruitt's Climate Change Position Evolves description: Scott Pruitt still acknowledges that climate change is happening, but he now argues that it could actually be good for the planet canonical: https://time.com/5139589/scott-pruitt-climate-change-epa/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-09T16:12:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:57:24.270Z article:section: Politics og:title: The EPA Head Has a New Argument: Maybe Climate Change Will Be Good og:description: "How do we know what the ideal surface temperature is in 2100?" og:url: https://time.com/5139589/scott-pruitt-climate-change-epa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19855abd8fafe84b/6988fa074ee26251ca310ad6/scott-pruitt-donald-trump-interview.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: scott pruitt donald trump interview og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The EPA Head Has a New Argument: Maybe Climate Change Will Be Good twitter:description: "How do we know what the ideal surface temperature is in 2100?" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19855abd8fafe84b/6988fa074ee26251ca310ad6/scott-pruitt-donald-trump-interview.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The EPA Head Has a New Argument: Maybe Climate Change Will Be Good > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=626859d9-e50b-4f40-a0dc-2454681580fb&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/mia6Tcb8.m3u8) (2:11)  _Published 2017-09-26. The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 9, 2018 4:12 PM UTC The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 9, 2018 4:12 PM UTC As the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt chooses his words carefully, especially on the subject of climate change. A longtime opponent of environmental regulation, Pruitt has to acknowledge that climate change exists to avoid legal problems that could arise from dismissing agency-approved science, but he has also sought to cast doubt on the need to fight it. His latest argument: Climate change is happening, but it might actually be good for the planet and the human race — an argument that contradicts virtually all mainstream scientists who study the issue. In January, he [told](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-pruitt-exclusive/exclusive-trumps-epa-aims-to-replace-obama-era-climate-water-regulations-in-2018-idUSKBN1EZ079) Reuters that “the climate is changing” but asked “how do we know what the ideal surface temperature is in 2100?” And last week he told the New York _Times_ that “it’s pretty arrogant for people in 2018 to say we know what the ideal surface temperature should be in 2100.” This represents a new line of argument for Pruitt as well as the broader climate change skeptic community. During his confirmation hearings as EPA head last year, Pruitt [acknowledged climate change](http://time.com/4637905/epa-scott-pruitt-global-warming/) and focused his skepticism on the the degree to which humans were contributing. The evidence that man-made climate change is occurring is overwhelming in the scientific literature and has been affirmed by government agencies including the EPA. That reality has put [right-wing groups](http://time.com/4712153/climate-change-deniers-donald-trump-epa-global-warming/) that deny climate change in a corner and forced them to develop new arguments to justify inaction on the issue. Uncertainty about the impacts of climate change and optimism about the human ability to adapt rank among those arguments. Pruitt’s shift in tone comes as planning continues for a so-called “red-team blue-team” exercise that pits mainstream scientists against climate change deniers. Pruitt [told](http://time.com/4990060/scott-pruitt-interview-epa-schedule-meetings/) TIME in October that such an exercise would create a “robust meaningful debate” that he hoped would build “consensus around this issue.” But climate scientists say the debate is an unnecessary sideshow that would distract from substantive discussions about policy. Research shows that temperatures will rise by more than 5.8° Fahrenheit even if countries fulfill their commitments under the [Paris climate deal](http://time.com/4146764/paris-agreement-climate-cop-21/) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists say 3.6° Fahrenheit is the level where the planet will begin to experience the worst effects of warming. Indeed, Pruitt’s remarks on the impacts of climate change are unmoored from the policy moves the EPA has taken under his leadership. Pruitt has sought to undo a slew of Obama-era climate regulations, primarily by arguing that the EPA lacked the legal authority to take those actions. But he has stopped short of seeking to undo the endangerment finding, the EPA’s landmark scientific finding that climate change endangers human welfare. That’s where some of his supporters want to see him go next — and his recent remarks suggest he’s moving further in their direction, at least rhetorically. ## Transcript [00:00] As a candidate Donald Trump had no problem giving his [00:03] opinion about climate change. So Obama's talking about all [00:06] of this with the global warming, and a lot of it's a hoax, it's a [00:10] hoax, I mean it's a money making industry okay .>> But as [00:13] president he won't say what he things and neither will his [00:15] administration. The president himself during the campaign [00:19] called climate change a hoax. Have you had that [00:21] conversation with him? I have not had that conversation [00:23] with him. He no longer believes what he tweeted during [00:27] the course of the campaign in years earlier, that it's a [00:29] hoax? Look, you're gonna have to ask him. I'll ask it one [00:33] more time. Does he believe global warming's a hoax? [00:35] Does he believe- You should ask him that. When asked [00:37] their own opinions, other members of the Trump [00:38] administration generally agree the climate is changing and [00:41] humans may play a role. Climate is changing, it always [00:44] has. Man at this particular point in time is having an effect [00:47] on it, how much effect is what's at debate here. So why is [00:51] Trump himself so cagey? Part of it is political, polls show [00:55] the majority of Americans believe global warming is real [00:58] and is caused by human activities. Part of it personal, [01:01] Trump does not like to admit he was wrong about an issue [01:04] in the past As can be seen from his brief and begrudging [01:07] admission this his crusade over President Obama's birth [01:09] certificate was mistaken. President Barack Obama [01:14] was born in the United States, period. But there's [01:19] a legal reason too. The Environmental Protection Agency [01:22] has found that the greenhouse gases, which cause climate [01:24] change Are a form of pollution that endanger human health [01:27] and wellbeing. And thanks to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, [01:31] that means the EPA must act on those findings. If the [01:33] Trump Administration were to say climate change isn't real [01:36] it would be open to lawsuits from environmentalists for not [01:39] acting on its own EPA findings. EPA Administrator Scott [01:43] Pruitt is careful to say that it's real in some form. I indicated [01:48] That in fact global warming is occurring. That human [01:51] activity contributes to it in some manner. That doesn't mean [01:54] the EPA has to keep the Obama administration's plans in [01:57] place. In fact members of the Trump adminstration have [02:00] been steadily rolling back regulations designed to fight [02:03] climate change. They just can't say they're doing that. [02:05] Because climate change isn't real. 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