Because rather than denying the existence of climate change, he wants to start a new federal agency to study it.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, planned to announce Monday that NOAA will set up the new Climate Service to operate in tandem with NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Ocean Service.

Which means, of course, that unlike the members of the previous presidential administration, Obama respects scientists and their work.