Canadian wildfires impact on American air quality have been a hot topic between the countries’ governments, with the Trump administration urging Canada to emphasize “forest management” as an antidote, Lee Zeldin, head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday. But the two nations don’t necessarily agree on the role of such measures, Zeldin suggested during the G7 environment and energy ministers meeting in Toronto. …Zeldin is an opponent of what he has called the “religion of climate change,” and proposed scrapping his agency’s ability to regulate fossil fuels, the foundation of U.S. efforts to combat climate change. …Zeldin praised Canadian officials for promptly answering his questions about fires, but suggested that there was a friendly clash about how to address the issue. …The interaction underscores a curious aspect of the meeting – the Trump cabinet officials’ rejection of climate change put the U.S. starkly at odds with the group’s other members.

Additional coverage in the Nation Observer (subscription required): US officials praise Canada on wildfires but ignore climate at Toronto G7 meeting