China may leave the U.S. behind on climate change due to Trump
President-elect Donald J. Trump will enter office on Jan. 20, 2017 with an agenda that includes dismantling President Barack Obama's environmental actions, particularly when it comes to global warming. Environmentalists are gearing up for a fierce fight against him, and it's easy to see why.
Trump is set to become the world's only leader who does not believe human-caused global warming exists.
In just his first 100 days, he is seeking to green light the Keystone XL Pipeline, a project Obama rejected in 2015, as well as redirect climate aid the U.S. gives to other nations. In doing so, Trump may hand over the mantle of global leadership on combatting climate change to a country he aims to compete more fiercely with: China.
Trump has also pledged to "lift the restrictions" on producing what he says is $50 trillion dollars worth of energy reserves, including shale oil and natural gas as well as, in his campaign's words, "clean coal," which doesn't exist on a commercial scale.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016.
Image: Pablo Martinez MonsivaiS/AP
And that's just what he has planned for the first 100 days. He will have unified control of Congress for longer than that, enabling his administration to undertake even more radical anti-environmental measures should they choose to.
Fragile progress
Obama took more steps to mitigate the effects of climate change than any president in history, having rolled out regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants, mandated large increases in the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks, and forced regulators to factor in the climate change consequences of federal projects, including some energy projects.
While you might think that Obama's climate moves, which he sees as a cornerstone of his legacy, are durable, Trump may quickly expose their fragility.
The vast majority of Obama's climate agenda has been accomplished using his power as the chief executive, either through executive orders or federal regulations. Such steps can be more easily overturned than bills passed by Congress and signed into law.
Environmental advocates are gearing up for a long and costly fight with a Trump White House over what he will roll back, and the measures he plans to take using his executive authority — such as the authorization of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which Obama rejected in 2015 in part on climate change-related grounds.
"Trump must choose whether he will be a president remembered for putting America and the world back on a path to climate disaster, or for listening to the American public, investing in the fastest-growing sector in the U.S. economy — clean energy — and keeping us on a path of climate progress," said Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune in a statement.
"He should choose wisely," he said. "Otherwise, we can guarantee President Trump the hardest fight of his life every step of the way."
Keystone Pipeline
The Keystone XL Pipeline became a flashpoint for climate activists because it would transport oil 1,200 miles from Canada's oil sands region in Alberta through the Central U.S., to the Gulf Coast. There, the oil would be refined and exported to the global oil market.
Trump and other project supporters contend it would create thousands of jobs, although these claims were debunked by multiple studies, including the State Department's own review that showed few permanent jobs would result.
No comments:
Post a Comment