Hence, Donald Trump's tapping of former Texas Governor Rick Perry — a former rival that Trump once tweeted "should be forced to take an IQ test" before debating — to head the U.S. Department of Energy.
It's another one of those surreal developments that make one think this is all one big, fat troll campaign and someone's going to jump out from behind a curtain to tell us we've been punk'd this whole time.
Perry famously gaffed in 2011, during his first go at the presidency, when he couldn't name one of the three federal agencies he'd eliminate if elected. There was Department of Education, Department of Commerce and… what was the other one? …Oops.
The gaffe essentially ended his campaign, but he attempted another run in 2015, only to have his prospects fizzle in the shadow of Trump.
Heading the Department of Energy is obviously a tough job that requires nuanced understanding of energy resources — renewable and nonrenewable — as well as national security issues that come along with development/maintenance of said energy resources.
Perry is a known climate denier and friend of the oil and gas industry who, with just a four-year degree in animal science, isn't remotely as qualified as his predecessors, Obama appointees Ernest Moniz (2013-present) and Steven Chu (2009-2013), what with their fancy PhDs in pertinent fields and all.
Check out this (somewhat satirical) side-by-side comparison of Chu and Perry posted on Reddit Tuesday.
The lack of pertinent experience and desire to do away with regulation so industries can do what they want are apparently qualities Trump is looking for in all prospective cabinet members. In fact, Trump may even be trying to root out climate scientists who work within the energy department, something current Department of Energy staffers are fighting.
The incoming head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, is not unlike Perry in his climate denial and beholden-ness to the fossil fuel industry. The prospective Secretary of the Interior, Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke from Montana, is also known to side with oil and gas. Oh, then there's the climate-denying ExxonMobil CEO that's likely to be secretary of state.
Needless to say, environmental groups are pissed.
“These nominations would give the wealthiest oil executives in the country unprecedented power over our daily lives — from the air we breathe to the water we drink," said Abigail Dillen, vice president of litigation for climate & energy with the group Earthjustice in a written statement. "This may be the most stunning expression of how money in politics work. The richest corporations win and everybody else loses."
The nominations come at a time when Florida and other states are starting to see the impacts of climate change — flooding, ocean acidification, saltwater intrusion, greater storm frequency and intensity. So, the administration's ignoring of the science on fossil fuels and their impacts (and viable alternatives) will be a huge, you know, oops.
“We look to the Department of Energy for crucial scientific and technological innovations in the energy field," Dillen continued. "The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is an area where the DOE is moving us forward with renewable energy and energy efficiency breakthroughs. The leader of the DOE should value and take pride in these pioneering advancements. Gov. Perry seems not to care less."
This article appears in Dec 8-15, 2016.