EPA chief: Climate science review could take months

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt said Tuesday his “red team-blue team” review of climate change science could take months to complete once it eventually kicks off.

Pruitt first raised the idea of a “back-and-forth critique” of the scientific consensus on climate change in June. The EPA plans to recruit scientists to take different positions on climate science and then debate the issue.

Speaking at the Concordia Summit in New York, Pruitt said details of the climate change debate are still under discussion, but he said he anticipates it being a government-wide effort involving the EPA, the Energy Department and other agencies.

“There’s a framework being discussed on how it would occur,” Pruitt said.

{mosads}“This would not be an overnight thing or something done in a month. It would likely last many, many months,” Pruitt said.

“Again, there would be many issues that would be discussed, and it would be done in an opening setting at the EPA, for all the world to see.”

Climate scientists have criticized the effort, saying it would give skeptics an undue platform from which to critique climate change.