A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration's Climate Working Group was operating illegally. The group, formed by the Department of Energy, was meant to provide advice on climate change policies but instead worked in secret and produced a report that undermined the rationale for greenhouse gas regulations.
The government had attempted to claim that the Federal Advisory Committee Act did not apply to the group, citing its role as an information provider to the government. However, the judge found this argument to be without merit, stating that the defendants ignored allegations of violating the act and instead argued that the issues were moot because the Climate Working Group was no longer in existence.
The ruling also revealed that the group had operated with a biased membership and failed to keep public records. The court ultimately determined that these violations are established as a matter of law.
Furthermore, the judge found that the lawsuit itself has provided a solution to some of the government's violations by compelling the release of the Climate Working Group's emails. These emails have now been placed online by advocacy groups, revealing that the group was organized with the intention of producing material that would aid in overturning greenhouse gas regulations.
The report produced by the Climate Working Group was widely criticized for its scientific flaws and biased opinions. The DOE reviewers noted similar flaws in their comments, and it appears that these criticisms may have contributed to the group's efforts being put on hold.
The ruling has significant implications for the government's climate change policies, particularly if they are ever taken to court. The Climate Working Group's actions have been widely criticized as an attempt to undermine the scientific consensus on climate change, and this ruling may provide a key piece of evidence in future litigation.
The government had attempted to claim that the Federal Advisory Committee Act did not apply to the group, citing its role as an information provider to the government. However, the judge found this argument to be without merit, stating that the defendants ignored allegations of violating the act and instead argued that the issues were moot because the Climate Working Group was no longer in existence.
The ruling also revealed that the group had operated with a biased membership and failed to keep public records. The court ultimately determined that these violations are established as a matter of law.
Furthermore, the judge found that the lawsuit itself has provided a solution to some of the government's violations by compelling the release of the Climate Working Group's emails. These emails have now been placed online by advocacy groups, revealing that the group was organized with the intention of producing material that would aid in overturning greenhouse gas regulations.
The report produced by the Climate Working Group was widely criticized for its scientific flaws and biased opinions. The DOE reviewers noted similar flaws in their comments, and it appears that these criticisms may have contributed to the group's efforts being put on hold.
The ruling has significant implications for the government's climate change policies, particularly if they are ever taken to court. The Climate Working Group's actions have been widely criticized as an attempt to undermine the scientific consensus on climate change, and this ruling may provide a key piece of evidence in future litigation.
it's wild that they were trying to pull off a report that undermined greenhouse gas regulations. sounds like some shady stuff 
anyway, i'm glad this ruling came through - it's about time someone held them accountable for their actions. the fact that they were trying to claim they weren't bound by the Federal Advisory Committee Act just makes me roll my eyes 
and now that those emails are out in the open, it's like they're saying "oh no we messed up". 
gotta wonder what other secrets might come to light from this whole thing... maybe we'll finally get some transparency around climate change policies 
I'm surprised this group was even formed in the first place. It seems like they were just trying to push their own agenda behind closed doors 
. The fact that they claimed the Federal Advisory Committee Act didn't apply to them is straight-up nonsense 
. I mean, who tries to pull a fast one like that? 
They were producing reports that undermined climate change policies without even going through proper channels 
. It's no wonder the judge saw right through it and called them out on their BS 
. It's wild to see how biased this group was, especially considering they were supposed to be providing unbiased advice 
. This ruling is huge for transparency in government, and I hope it puts the kibosh on groups like this from trying to pull the wool over our eyes 
. It's like, own up to your mistakes and be transparent! The fact that these emails reveal such blatant bias in the group's report is just, wow... I don't even know how to process my emotions right now 
. If we can't trust our politicians to operate honestly and with integrity, then what's the point of having a democracy? It's like, we need to hold them accountable for their actions, and this lawsuit has done just that 
. Fingers crossed it sets a precedent for future cases against climate denial groups 
. I mean, come on, operating in secret like that? It's like they thought they were above the law 
. The fact that they tried to claim the FAC act didn't apply is just laughable 
.
anyway it got outed because of some lawsuit and now we got these emails that are literally proof of their deceit 
The fact that the judge called out this group for their blatant disregard for the law is a huge win for democracy. We need more of this kind of courage in our courts, if you ask me... 
. Apparently, they tried to get out of following Federal Advisory Committee Act by saying it didn't apply since they were just info providers 
. But the judge was all "nope" and said that's not how it works 
. The report from the Climate Working Group was also super flawed scientifically 
. This ruling is gonna make it way harder for the government to pretend like climate change isn't real 
. Here's a bar chart showing how many times the term "climate change" was searched on Google since 2015 
: [chart with increasing bars from 0-50].
Can't believe what I just read! So like, this group was supposed to be all about giving advice on climate change policies, but secretly they were producing reports that were basically trying to mess with the whole greenhouse gas regulation thing. And get this - they tried to say that they weren't even following the rules because it was moot now... 
it's crazy how some people try to use science as a way to push their own agenda. anyway, this ruling might be a major setback for them... hope they take responsibility for their actions 
. I mean, who tries to hide their actions from the public and then claims it's not a big deal? The fact that they tried to claim the Federal Advisory Committee Act didn't apply just because the group wasn't around anymore is pretty ridiculous 
. It's kinda reassuring that the court stepped in and held them accountable.