DEP Commissioner Bob Martin Should Resign Over Gov. Christie’s “No Climate Crisis” Denial

We call for Martin to resign – DEP scientific integrity on the line

DEP Commissioner Bob Martin

I vaguely alluded to the resignation issue at the very end of a prior post that attempted to shame the firm where DEP Commissioner Martin spent his career and rose to partner, the corporate consulting firm Accenture.

In that post, I also gave Commissioner Martin an opportunity to distance himself from the Governor’s remarks, by challenging him to issue a public statement about DEP’s assessment of the climate science.

Martin declined.

So, today, let me be very clear and up front and take the resignation issue head on.

If the man had even a shred of integrity, DEP Commissioner Martin would resign. Here’s why.

On a national stage, Governor Christie claimed that climate change is not a crisis, because he has seen no evidence that climate change is a crisis. Note how Christie claims to not be aware of the science:

“What I am saying is that it’s not a crisis. The climate’s been changing forever … I just don’t buy that. I just don’t buy the fact that it’s a ‘crisis,’ I just don’t.”

Pressed to answer why, Christie again answered, “Because I don’t believe it is. I just don’t see that there’s any evidence that it’s a crisis.”

Asked which scientists supported his assertion, Christie said: “I didn’t say I was relying on any scientists. I don’t see evidence that it’s a crisis.”  (NJ.com)

Why does Governor Christie apparently lack scientific evidence about climate change?

This is not the first time that Gov. Christie has claimed he had no scientific evidence or advice on climate change.

Way back in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Christie pulled exactly the same line. As WNYC reported:

“I know there are some folks at Rutgers who are looking at whether climate caused all this, but I certainly haven’t been briefed in the last year, year-and-a-half on this,” Christie told WNYC’s Bob Hennelly last month. ~~~  Christie Deep-Sixed Climate Change Prep

Governor Christie had not been briefed on climate change for over 2 years, even AFTER Sandy?

We called out that lie 3 years ago: ( see WNYC report)

That turned out to be a losing gamble, and one, critics say, that reflects a pattern in Christie’s term in office.

In his first year, Christie closed the Office of Climate Change and Energy which had been created and given top-level priority under Jon Corzine.

It was run by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Its mission was to ready the state  to handle more severe storms, heat and rising sea levels.

“So none of this work is getting done,” said Bill Wolfe, a 30-year-veteran of DEP and now a harsh critic.

“And if you want to get something done, the DEP has all the tools to get something done and they’ve chosen not to use those tools for political reasons, reflecting the Governor’s priorities and Governor’s policy,” Wolfe said. “And they just don’t want to own up to that.”

DEP Commissioner Martin is in Christie’s Cabinet and he has the primary responsibility to advise the Governor about climate change science.

There are only 2 possibilities, and they both point to resignation. Either:

1. Martin, for over 5 years, has failed to provide scientific information to and brief the Governor on the climate issue, and thereby has grossly neglected his duty and responsibility on the most important issue facing the planet and therefore must resign. Or;

2. Governor Christie is flat out lying about the science and Martin has remained silent and let that lie stand.

Again that would mean Martin lacks the integrity and courage for the job and has failed to defend DEP’s scientific integrity as an institution, and therefore should resign.

So, what’s it going to be Commissioner Martin?

What kind of man would let his reputation be smeared like that?

What kind of man would not defend his scientists and institutional integrity?

[End note: of course, logically, there is a third possibility: i.e. that Bob Martin himself is ignorant of the climate science.

But how could that possibly be for a man who rose to partner in “the world’s largest business and technology consulting firm”? ~~~]