Environmental policy Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration

1 environmental policy

1.1 program budget cuts
1.2 department of interior

1.2.1 national parks
1.2.2 bureau of land management (blm)


1.3 pollution regulation
1.4 climate change
1.5 threat flora , fauna
1.6 paris climate agreement

environmental policy

amid protests, on march 28, trump signed sweeping executive order @ epa instructing regulators rewrite key rules curbing u.s. carbon emissions , other environmental regulations. trump accompanied coal miners , coal executives among others , devoted remarks on executive order praising coal miners, pipelines , u.s. manufacturing. addressed coal-miners directly, come on, fellas. basically, know is? know says, right? you’re going work. executive order plans put american jobs first not supporting climate change policies place economy @ risk. while campaigning in march 2016, donald trump proposed idea of eliminating environmental protection agency in order balance united states budget. trump said, re going have little tidbits left re going of out .

program budget cuts

one of main goals of trump administration lift burdensome regulations various energy industries boost domestic energy production. in order appropriately, trump asked american manufacturers regulations made production difficult. industry leaders responded, , overwhelming amount of them recommended lifting restrictions related environment , workers rights. in open letter scott pruitt, mustafa ali, former head of epa s environmental justice program resigned in protest pruitt s budget cuts, expressed concerns how budget cuts effect pollution in poor , minority neighborhoods.

on march 15, trump administration announced plans cut epa 2018 budget 31%, far largest budget cut federal agency. cut result in loss of 19% of workforce or 3,200 employees, through both staff buyouts , layoffs. choice remove clean power plan, put in place reduce carbon dioxide emissions chiefly coal-fired power plants, eliminate obama s efforts curb climate change. plan remove $100 million allocated fund research combating climate change. national oceanic , atmospheric administration provides $250 million programs aid countries high risk of impacts rising , increasingly warm , acidic sea water levels. these programs eliminated under new set of budget cuts. if enacted, mean elimination of 38 of agency s programs. programs eliminated include radon program, grants clean industrial sites ( brownfields ), climate change research, , office of environmental justice. administration says plans refocus epa mission on clean water, air, , other core responsibilities. plans delegate more of epa s enforcement activities states, while decreasing amount of money given states purpose 30%. issues greenhouse gas emissions trimmed or eliminated budget.

trump s proposed 2018 budget proposes decreasing funding department of interior $1.5 billion.

in may 2017, congress approved budget balance of 2017–18 fiscal year cuts epa funding 1% , not cut staffing or specific programs. republicans said expect make larger cuts in 2018–19 budget.

department of interior
national parks

trump calling more drilling in national parks. has promised utilize america’s $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, natural gas reserves, , clean coal reserves. in interviews, trump has accused obama of “denying millions of americans access energy wealth sitting under our feet” because of obama’s policies surrounding restrictions , bans on new coal extraction.

bureau of land management (blm)

the trump administration plans open more federal land energy development, such fracking , drilling. clean water rule, issued epa , army corp of engineers in 2015, target possible repeal. rule clarifies federal government’s jurisdiction protect small streams , wetlands pollution. developers, business, , agriculture groups oppose rule because believe private property rights violated , undue regulatory burdens created.

pollution regulation

nancy b. beck became top deputy after joined e.p.a.’s toxic chemical unit in may 2017, while previous 5 years had been executive @ industry trade association american chemistry council american chemical companies.

in attempts lift regulations on oil, mining, drilling, , farming industries, trump administration proposed 31% budget cut epa result in reduced initiatives protect water , air quality, leaving of effort states. plan outlines $247 million in cuts pollution clean-up , $330 million in cuts contamination site clean-up. environmentalists fear these cuts result in health problems living near these sites, there less funding water pollution mitigation. epa budget cuts expected lead decreased regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), result in less federal oversight of clean-up projects in these area.

much of trump administration s efforts decrease pollution regulation involved directly rescinding or overturning pollution regulations enacted under obama administration. on february 16, 2017, president donald trump signed resolution overturning president obama s stream protection rule, after being in effect less 30 days. on february 28, 2017, president trump enacted executive order allow administrator of epa revise or rescind clean water rule in name of economic growth , eliminating ambiguous regulations. research cited epa shows 1 in 3 americans water public drinking water systems partly sourced streams protected clean water rule. these streams may in danger of pollution industrial , agricultural waste, sewage, radioactive materials , large number of other pollutants covered clean water rule. administration has proposed rollback on obama administration s extension of federal jurisdiction on lands protected clean water act in attempts reduce water pollution in areas surrounding toxic waste facilities. trump administration has additionally rescinded rules limiting mercury , air toxins power plants, limiting water pollution coal plants, banning pesticide chlorpyrifos, , banning methane emissions landfills, among other rules, has resulted in lawsuits various environmental groups such environmental defense fund , natural resources defense council. many of lawsuits have been successful, such lawsuit environmental defense fund , other environmental groups against trump administration s decision suspend rule limited methane emissions oil , gas wells, decision overturned united states court of appeals district of columbia circuit.

climate change

63 years of climate change nasa

during campaign, trump expressed view global warming , cooling natural process. described global warming hoax ; , attributed hoax chinese government plot sabotage american manufacturing, later claimed had been joke. candidate trump said rescind obama s climate action plan, cancel u.s. participation in paris climate agreement, , stop u.s. payments towards united nations global warming programs.

positions on global warming differ within trump administration. u.s. secretary of defense james mattis has called climate change true threat national security , stability. epa administrator scott pruitt has said not believe carbon dioxide primary contributor global warming.

trump has committed removal of regulations on industry deems unnecessary burden on energy industries. specifically, has cited obama s climate action plan priority among these regulations. climate action plan, issued in june 2013, includes regulations industry ultimate goal of cutting domestic carbon emission, preparing u.s. impending effects of climate change, , working internationally address climate change. among regulations outlined in plan initiatives increase natural disaster preparedness, create , improve existing hospitals, , modernize infrastructure better withstand extreme weather. in march 2017, trump signed executive order officially withdraw , rewrite obama s clean power plan in effort revive coal mining industry. trump has called obama-era fuel standards burden on u.s. automotive industry , has instructed epa administrator pruitt review them.

in june 2017 trump proposed in white house meeting wall mexico should covered solar panels.

threat flora , fauna

male jaguar santa rita mountains, arizona, in 2015

a border wall block movement of wildlife, , interfere movement of animals in response climate change. wall prevent genetic exchange. critical habitats on border mexico in california, arizona, new mexico , texas. endangered species act of 1973 , candidates list united states fish , wildlife service includes ninety-three species ranges near or cross border.

among threatened species jaguar (the largest cat native north america), ocelot (30 pound cats making comeback), mexican wolf (the smallest gray wolf in north america), sonoran pronghorn (related giraffes, can run 60 mph , north america s fastest land mammals), tiny cactus ferruginous pygmy owl (who fly @ 4.5 13 feet, lower wall), , quino checkerspot butterfly (who fly no higher 6 8 feet).

paris climate agreement

on june 1, 2017, trump announced united states withdrawal paris agreement, causing u.s. become third out of 197 nations worldwide in opposition agreement. prior withdrawal, u.s. had pledged reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26-28% below 2005 levels 2025 , assign $3 million in aid foreign countries combating climate change. withdrawal supported several republican lawmakers felt backing out in-line trump s america first policy , goals diverge environmental policies of obama administration. announcement has been criticized many national , international leaders, domestic politicians, business leaders , academics large majority of american citizens (7 out of 10 according study yale program on climate change communication).

trump opposed agreement on grounds compromise u.s. sovereignty , cause many americans lose jobs. proponents of agreement argue, however, backing out result in loss our economy new green jobs offered instead competitors overseas. trump announced attempts reach negotiation leaders involved in agreement, responded saying accord non-negotiable .

the process of withdrawal expected take several years, , in meantime there has been vocal resistance on state , local levels. hawaii became first state independently commit goals lined out accord. shortly after trump s announcement, state governments in california, new york, , washington founded united states climate alliance continue advancing objectives of paris agreement. sentiment has been expressed other state governors, mayors , businesses, , alliance has 10 states governors of both democratic , republican parties pledging abide agreement. additionally, shortly after withdrawal california governor jerry brown met president xi jinping of china declare states compliance paris accord.