Trump Energy Pick writes ESG report praising oil and gas, while downplaying climate worries

According to a report that he wrote as the CEO of oilfield service company Liberty Energy, Donald Trump's nominee to head the Energy Department believes fossil fuels will end world poverty. He says this is a bigger problem than the "distant threat" of climate change.

Chris Wright stated in a February report entitled "Bettering Human Lives" that the energy transformation has not yet begun, and that while climate change is a problem, it's not the biggest threat to humanity.

Wright, who founded a foundation to expand propane cook stoves for developing countries, believes that poverty is a greater threat and can be reduced with hydrocarbons.

The mainstream science is at odds with the opinions of many of the incoming U.S. Energy Secretary, who will be eager to implement Trump's agenda. This includes maximizing domestic oil and natural gas production, which has already reached record levels, and withdrawing from international collaboration to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Morgan Bazilian of the Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines said, "The oil and gas industry will feel better" in an interview. He added that the industry felt attacked because of President Joe Biden’s climate policies.

Bazilian said Wright was "a perfect example". He has been very vocal about how the oil and natural gas industry brought power, security and development to America. This is true. "Global emissions aren't decreasing.

Scientists claim that emissions from fossil fuels is a major reason for climate change, which is occurring faster than anticipated.

Wright argues against the classification of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a pollutant. He says that carbon is necessary for life.

Peter Reich, a scientist in climate change at the University of Michigan called Wright's logic as "terrifyingly ridiculous."

Reich added that "people, their pets and crops all need water." "That does not mean that your house or soybean field can be under water if it is up to the second story."

A spokesperson from the Trump transition team stated: "As an innovator and entrepreneur of the highest caliber, Chris Wright is an ardent advocate for President Trump’s pledge to lower the price of energy while ensuring energy independence." Wright's Liberty spokesperson did not respond immediately to a comment request.

Wright wrote that "the wealthy have gone beyond over-optimism regarding the breadth and scaleability of a small slice of alternative energy, and unfortunately, they've rushed to outright block hydrocarbon infrastructure and production."

A report claims that the number of Polar Bears is increasing, but without any evidence. Charlotte Lindqvist is an expert from the University of Buffalo who says that polar bears aren't increasing in numbers and they are losing their sea ice habitats.

Wright supports some alternatives to petroleum, including small modular nuclear (which isn't commercialized yet) and geothermal while criticizing solar, wind, and other renewables as inadequate.

Bazilian said this view is outdated. He noted that the cost of carbon free solar and wind sources has dropped dramatically, and that these sources can also be used to address energy poverty.

Wright wrote that extreme weather deaths have decreased for the past century due to an increase in wealth and energy access.

Drew Shindell is a climate scientist from Duke University. He said Wright's argument follows a common strategy of "stating things which are correct, but irrelevant or at best tangential to the actual question at hand."

It would be an excellent rebuttal of the argument that we should stop using fossil fuels to reduce climate change and sit in darkness and reverse modernity. Shindell stated that no one was arguing this.

Michael Mann, a scientist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies climate change, pointed out that more than 200 people died in October's hurricane Helene. Scientists say climate change made the storm worse.

Liberty publishes the report as an ESG publication since 2021. Liberty claims that its mission of providing affordable energy is in line with ESG investment principles. (Reporting and editing by Richard Valdmanis, David Gregorio and Nichola Gardner)

(source: Reuters)