Andrew Wheeler is clearly a terrible candidate to head the Environmental Protection Agency. He is a former coal lobbyist who has used his current position at the EPA to push environmental protection rollbacks and decrease the importance of factoring in human health impacts of proposed environmental policies.

In his recent hearing in front of the Senate EPW committee, he even admitted to not reading a number of recent climate impact reports that would have a serious impact on his agency and their work.

It is incredibly irresponsible to appoint someone who “would not call [climate change] the greatest crisis” to a leadership position at the agency tasked with protecting our environment and health. In fact,the recently released IPCC climate change report warns that we have limited time – barely over a decade – to reduce emissions before we reach catastrophic climatic conditions.

Wheeler is a biased, dangerous candidate to head the EPA at such a critical time in history. As a student intern working with the nonpartisan climate action group Defend Our Future, I am troubled by our current administration’s lack of concern for the well being of our environment and citizens.

It is critical, particularly as young adults, that we call our Senators and demand that the EPA is run by someone with our best interest at heart. Our health and our future depend on it.

 

Aliza Baden, Columbus