Energy Secretary Chris Wright falsely claimed the link between rising temperatures worldwide and extreme weather is "nonsense," as Bloomberg detailed.

What's happening?

Wright, who was sworn into office on Feb. 3, twice took aim at the well-documented correlation between the frequency and severity of extreme weather and an overheating planet.

In an August 4 post on X, Wright (@SecretaryWright) introduced the topic without prompting.

"The ceaseless repeating from the media, politicians and activists claiming that climate change is making weather more dangerous and severe is just nonsense. That is just NOT true," he said.

It's standard practice to include or append something like a report or study to validate such claims, particularly ones that fly in the face of scientific consensus worldwide. It would be folly of the same sort to counter his claim with repeated instances of extreme weather in recent months.

A United Nations "Global Issues" page on changing global temperatures explains that "burning fossil fuels" over time caused an "increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which have caused dangerous impacts on nature and people worldwide."

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In lieu of a credible citation, Wright followed his tweet with a link to his then-recent appearance on podcaster Ben Shapiro's show. During that appearance, Wright reiterated his claims.

He recalled seeing The Hill's reporting on "decades of data and scientific consensus that [indicate] climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of storms" in relation to the EPA's concurrent attempt to reverse the landmark Endangerment Finding.

"Like, just, the headlines are just wrong," Wright continued, again making no effort to substantiate his assertions about the known, primary driver of extreme weather events.

In simple terms, gases such as carbon dioxide and methane act as heat-retaining greenhouse roofing around the planet when they concentrate in higher levels, which has led to clear documented increases in average global temperatures in recent decades. Hotter temperatures lead to more evaporation of moisture into the air — which is why basements often need a dehumidifier in the summer and bedrooms often need a humidifier in the winter. 

This additional moisture in the air, plain and simple, leads to more dangerous heat waves as well as stronger storms from higher volumes of rain — all of which endangers us all at higher levels than decades ago. 

Why is this so important?

In a very short span of time, the EPA moved to undermine enforcement of the Clean Air Act in its efforts to vacate the Endangerment Finding, and Wright claimed without evidence that extreme weather is unrelated to greenhouse gas emissions. 

When Wright was named as a potential candidate for Energy Secretary in November, both The Hill and ABC News reported that he had a history of science denialism. 

It's possible that Wright's repeated failure to corroborate claims about extreme weather is due to the fact that no such corroboration exists. An avalanche of credible evidence to the contrary is readily available.

Imperial College London researcher Ben Clarke didn't pull punches when he spoke to Bloomberg about Wright's perplexing assertions.

"Greenhouse gases are causing increases in extreme weather today. This destroys wealth, lives, and livelihoods, all in the name of preserving an outdated energy system to enrich a few people at the expense of everyone else," he explained.

What's being done about it?

As federal agencies move to roll back key environmental protections, the "lives and livelihoods" of Americans are increasingly jeopardized.

Contacting lawmakers is one way for people to make their voices heard on these matters, and staying up to date on key environmental issues is more important than ever.

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