Statement From Ken Berlin, President And CEO Of The Climate Reality Project, On The President-elect’s Nomination Of Rick Perry As Secretary Of Energy

Today, President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Governor of Texas Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy. President and CEO of The Climate Reality Project Ken Berlin released the following statement on the appointment:

“The faster we are able to transition to a clean energy economy, the faster we can tackle the climate crisis. Time is ticking, and the world is moving forward, with or without us. The leaders that President-elect Trump appoints will either ensure the US leads the transition to tomorrow’s clean energy economy – creating tremendous opportunities for American businesses and entrepreneurs while adding thousands and thousands more jobs to the over 769,000 already supported by the sector – or we watch other countries leave us behind.

“For the fourth time in a week, President-elect Trump’s appointments have failed to take into account the urgency of the climate crisis. Governor Rick Perry has time and again ignored the overwhelming consensus of scientists to deny the reality of the climate crisis and his support for deregulation of the fossil fuel industry would likely delay the country’s movement to clean energy by decades, costing the country incredible opportunities for job creation and business growth. This is not the kind of forward-looking leadership we need on energy—we need to find energy solutions for the future, not revert to those of the past.

“Now more than ever, The Climate Reality Project urges all concerned citizens to take action on climate. If our leadership refuses to do so, it’s up to states, cities and local communities to ensure the US meets its Paris Agreement commitments to reducing emissions and fosters accessible, affordable clean energy solutions.”