WASHINGTON ¨C Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump¡¯s pick to run the U.S. Energy Department, said during a Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that global warming caused by humans is real, but that efforts to combat it should not cost American jobs.
The comment marks a shift for the former Texas governor, who had previously called the science behind climate change ¡°unsettled¡± and a ¡°contrived, phony mess.¡± It also clashes with Trump¡¯s statements during his campaign for the White House that global warming is a hoax meant to weaken U.S. business.
¡°I believe the climate is changing. I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by man-made activity. The question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesn¡¯t compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy or American jobs,¡± Perry said.
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