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| By Arianna Skibell |
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 President-elect Donald Trump arrives Tuesday in Boca Chica, Texas. | Pool photo by Brandon Bell |
Human activity is warming the planet to unsafe levels. But the few who doubt that reality want a government-funded debate — and President-elect Donald Trump just might grant their wish. The red team/blue team exercise — a military tactic used to simulate fighting an enemy force — would compel climate scientists (blue) to defend against the handful of researchers who argue climate change fears are overblown (red), writes Scott Waldman. “If there’s an honest review that is done honestly, and the people who are worried about the climate make a good case, they’ll be even stronger afterwards,” said Will Happer, a retired Princeton University physics professor who was an adviser on Trump’s National Security Council.
Happer pushed the first Trump administration to organize the effort, which never came to fruition. But he said Trump promised to revive the idea in a second term. Steve Koonin, a former chief scientist at BP and architect of the original plan, also argues that the president-elect should revive the effort. The Trump transition team did not respond to Scott’s request for comment.
Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, called the idea a “political process to try to slow down action on climate change.” The effort could also further undermine the country’s standing within the global community, said Michael Mann, a climate scientist with the University of Pennsylvania.
“At a time when we’re seeing devastating and deadly consequences of inadequate climate action, to continue to deny the reality and threat of climate change — as these clowns are doing — will make us a global pariah,” he said. “But maybe that’s the point.”
The world is already 1.3 degrees Celsius hotter than before the Industrial Revolution, fueling more frequent and intense hurricanes, droughts, floods and wildfires. Last year was the hottest on record, and 2024 is on track to surpass it. If the planet warms 3 degrees above preindustrial levels — which is increasingly likely — scientists anticipate the total collapse of numerous ecosystems, rapid ice sheet melting, mass coral bleaching, monthslong heat waves and other potentially irreversible events. Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and pledged to roll back the Biden administration’s trillion-dollar climate agenda. While his first administration largely did not meddle with federal climate research, that restraint is highly unlikely this time around.
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It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net.
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| A message from Gevo:
American-made sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will strengthen domestic energy security and bolster the rural economy. In South Dakota, Gevo’s Net-Zero 1 SAF facility will create new opportunities for local workers, farmers, and residents – delivering an estimated $116 million in annual value for the local economy. Net-Zero 1 is a critical step in ensuring the long-term competitiveness of American agriculture, energy, and aviation. Learn more. |
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Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: James Bikales breaks down why it won't be easy for Trump to eliminate the ongoing federal effort to build a national network of electric vehicle chargers.
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A rig and supply vessel in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011. | Gerald Herbert/AP |
Biden rule could shake up offshore oil cleanups
The Biden administration promised to release a new standard for ocean drilling that could help clean up a growing number of old oil and gas wells. But the first-of-a-kind rule has yet to arrive, increasing the risk that the incoming Trump administration indefinitely delays it, writes Heather Richards. The draft rule, which might land in January, would rewrite the so-called fitness to operate standard. It is intended to weed out companies unable to cover cleanup costs or guilty of safety and environmental infractions. Republicans cook up a 2025 permitting plan
If Republicans aren’t able to cinch a deal with Democrats on an energy permitting overhaul this year, they say that’s OK. They’ll come back next year to do it on their own, writes Kelsey Brugger. And they have an unlikely model for such an effort: Democrats’ climate law. As they prepare to control Washington, Republicans are looking back to 2021 when Democrats forged what was then the “Build Back Better” plan. The ambitious $3.5 trillion social and climate budget reconciliation package was ultimately whittled down to the much smaller Inflation Reduction Act.
Hungary might quit Russian oil — for a price
Hungary is prepared to kick its Russian oil addiction if the European Union helps bankroll its switch to other importers, write Gabriel Gavin and Victor Jack. A top official with Hungary’s only refinery that imports Russian crude oil said he is open to diversifying the company's supplies before the EU’s informal 2027 deadline to end Russian oil purchases. But György Bacsa said the effort would require EU cash to the tune of $500 million.
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| A message from Gevo:   |
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Our news roundup from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
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People adjust a banner outside the venue for the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit on Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan. | Peter Dejong/AP |
Not just China — In addition to China, the EU wants South Korea, Singapore and perhaps Brazil to contribute funds to help developing countries address climate change. It’s the first time the EU has explicitly mentioned these countries as it pushes to expand the number of nations that will contribute to a collective climate finance fund. Nations are hashing out how much annual money will go into that fund this week. US climate officials race against the clock — U.S. diplomats in Baku, Azerbaijan, are stuck in a tricky spot: They’re fighting to implement President Joe Biden’s climate agenda — knowing it could all be smashed with a Trump sledgehammer in two months. COP30 host urges EU to beef up climate targets — Brazil, host of the next global climate summit, wants the EU to set an earlier net-zero target.
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Agenda: Here are 12 big changes Trump could make to climate and environment policy. Study: Climate change drives up insurance costs — and missed mortgage payments.
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| Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking developments—free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now. |
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A showcase of some of our best subscriber content.
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Hurricane Rafael churns off the west coast of Florida on Nov. 7 in this satellite image provided by NOAA. | NOAA via AP |
Climate change increased the maximum wind speeds of every Atlantic hurricane that formed this year, scientists have found. A Canadian uranium producer has cleared a key regulatory hurdle as it seeks approval to build a mine that could significantly expand North America’s nuclear fuel supply. Interview: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) breaks down which elements of Democrats' climate law she hopes to roll back and which she wants to preserve as chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee next year. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
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Policy Change is Coming: Be prepared, be proactive, be a Pro. POLITICO Pro’s platform has 200,000+ energy regulatory documents from California, New York, and FERC. Leverage our Legislative and Regulatory trackers for comprehensive policy tracking across all industries. Learn more. |
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| A message from Gevo: Sustainable aviation fuel will bolster American energy security and unleash new markets for American farmers. In South Dakota, Gevo’s Net-Zero 1 plant will offer farmers new premiums for their crops as it sources locally grown feedstocks to produce 60 million gallons of SAF per year.
According to research from Charles River Associates, Net-Zero 1 is also projected to create thousands of local jobs at the facility and across the agricultural, manufacturing, and transportation industries, generating more than $100 million in annual economic impact. Learn more about how investments in American-made SAF can strengthen American farmers, energy security, and competitiveness here. |
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