Trump: Nobody Knows If Climate Change Is Real

The reality of climate change is an open question, US president-elect, Donald Trump, said in an interview aired on Sunday.

"Nobody really knows" if climate change is real, Trump said in the "Fox News Sunday" interview, when host Chris Wallace asked the incoming president where he stands on the environment, CNN reported.

"I'm still open-minded. Nobody really knows. Look, I'm somebody that gets it and nobody really knows. It's not something that's so hard and fast."

But climate scientists say they do know.

Centuries of data confirm that global warming is happening and caused mainly by human activities such as burning oil, coal and natural gas for electricity and motor fuel or clearing rainforests, Mashable reported. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's most authoritative group of climate experts, has said it is "extremely likely" that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions have been the "dominant cause" of global warming trends observed since the mid-20th century.

Trump told Wallace he is studying whether the United States should withdraw from its commitment to limit environmental output made at the Paris summit last year. "Now, Paris, I'm studying. I do say this. I don't want that agreement to put us at a competitive disadvantage with other countries," Trump said.

"And as you know, there are different times and different time limits on that agreement. I don't want that to give China, or other countries signing agreements an advantage over us."

In point of fact, a majority of scientists say climate change is real and humans contribute to it.

On the campaign trail, Trump called climate change a "hoax" that is being pushed by China, but in recent weeks has showed a growing interest in looking into the issue.

His daughter, Ivanka, has spoken publicly about taking on the issue as one of her platforms and Trump has met with notable environmentalists, including former vice president Al Gore and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Trump's statements during the Fox News interview were some of his most extensive comments on the environment—and climate change in particular—since he was elected president last month. His remarks may unnerve other nations that are committed to the Paris treaty and count on the US to participate and lead on this issue, since the US is the world's second largest emitter of carbon dioxide, behind China.