Document k9RRydbqvpze28wBd815bwmXn

ADMINISTRATOR PRUITT CALLS FOR RED TEAM EXERCISE ON CLIMATE SCIENCE SPECIAL REPORT WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt called for a Red Team adversarial review to critique the Climate Science Special Report (the CSSR) https://science2017.globalchange.gov/downloads/CSSR2017 FullReport.pdf. a report mandated by Congress every four years. "This report presents an opportunity to evaluate the science around climate change with an open 'Red Team/Blue Team' exercise," said Administrator Scott Pruitt. "The subject of climate science is of great importance to the nation and the world; decisions costing trillions of taxpayer dollars' rest upon projections of future climates. It is essential that certainties and uncertainties in the science are accurately presented to the public and to decision makers. Many distinguished scientists have pointed out that the CSSR leaves much to be desired in this regard." For example, on Friday, Steven Koonin, a theoretical physicist who served as undersecretary for science under President Barack Obama published an opinion editorial in The Wall Street Journal saying that the CSSR report "reinforces alarm with incomplete information and highlights the need for more-rigorous review of climate assessments." The concept of a "Red Team/Blue Team" process for climate science sparked debate - and broad support - following the April 20, 2017 opinion editorial by Koonin published in the Wall Street Journal. In his editorial, written at the time of the "March for Science," Mr. Koonin called a "Red Team/Blue Team" process for climate science, "one of the most important and contentious issues of our age," concluding: The outcome of a Red/Blue exercise for climate science is not preordained, which makes such a process all the more valuable. It could reveal the current consensus as weaker than claimed. Alternatively, the consensus could emerge strengthened if Red Team criticisms were countered effectively. But, whatever the outcome, we scientists would have better fulfilled our responsibilities to society, and climate policy discussions would be better informed. For those reasons, all who march to advocate policy making based upon transparent apolitical science should support a climate science Red Team exercise. EPA is working with other Federal Government Agencies and with Congress to get the necessary personnel in place as quickly as possible to support a Red Team/Blue Team exercise. ### Edit of Liz Bowman's first draft by Will Happer 1:30 pm, 11/4/2017 Liz Bowman U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office: 202-564-3293 Will Happer: happergprincton.edu Office: 609 258 4382 17cv1906 Sierra Club v. EPA - 6/22 Production ED 001523 00000945-00001 17cv1906 Sierra Club v. EPA - 6/22 Production ED 001523 00000945-00002