Who knew the French are wiser and smarter than we are? We secretly harbored thoughts that the Brits might be, but Brexit taught us that wasn’t the case, but who expected the French? En viola un idée! A defeat, finally, for ugly isolationism, hate-mongering, and a maniacal clinging to Nazism. Bravo, well-done, awesome French voters!
In the meantime, back at the golf course, 45 has undone much of the environmental legacy not just of Obama’s, but Teddy Roosevelt and every president since then. Surprise! Scientists are being fired and replaced by industry lobbyists and staff that those very agencies are supposed to regulate. Here are several examples:
April 28, 2017- EPA deletes its climate change section of its website. It will be replaced, as they state, “to reflect EPA’s priorities under the leadership of President Trump and Administrator Pruitt.” Whoops, they forgot to delete the Spanish section of the same content. That was done on May 2.
April 28, 2017-45 signs an executive order to review all offshore oil and gas drilling in that Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic, AND to halt National Marine Sanctuaries designation or expansion if they contain “energy or mineral resource potential.”
April 27, 2017-Executive order requiring a review of designations determined under the federal Antiquities Act of 1906. Every president since TR, with the unsurprising exception of Ronald Reagan, has created national monuments. The West has a very contentious relationship to federal land. It’s a mindset more than a reality and is based partly on what is seen as the need for resource-related jobs. In reality, tourism brings in many more jobs. Bear in mind the Grand Canyon started as a National Monument and was fought against, but is now one of the most visited and awe-inspiring places in the world. For more detailed information see this National Geographic link: news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/04/trump-review-national-monuments-bears-ears-utah/
April 19, 2017-The Interior Department got into the act of denying climate change by deleting all but 1 mention of it on their website, and that mention not mentioning what it is, the impact on the U.S., or much else.
April 17, 2017-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced on Fox News the intent of EPA now was “back to basics,” which he explained meant “. . . enhancing economic growth.” This is extremely wide-ranging. He explained the agenda in more detail at a Pennsylvania coal mine. Here’s a link to specifics of the new EPA agenda, the E now standing for Economic. www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-back-basics-agenda-pennsylvania-coal-mine
March 29, 2017 – Against the advice of the EPA’s chemical safety experts, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt rejects a decade-old petition asking that the EPA ban all use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos. In 2000, the EPA banned its use in most household settings, but the pesticide is still used on some 40,000 farms, which EPA scientists recommended stop. Research suggests that chlorpyrifos may be associated with brain damage in children and farm workers, even at low exposures.” Direct quote from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment/
It’s used mainly for almonds, corn, cotton, and fruit trees including apples, bananas, and oranges. Bees are directly adversely impacted by use of this herbicide. Ironically on March 21, the Bumble bee (Bombus affinis) was finally listed as endangered after a delay from the administration. Bees, by the way, are one of the most important pollinators of our food supplies. Here’s a link with more details about the effect of chlorpyrifos. earthjustice.org/features/what-you-need-to-know-about-chlorpyrifos
March 28, 2017- Executive order that starts the process of rescinding actions fighting climate change taken in previous administrations, particularly Obama’s. The most appallingly horrific is against the Clean Power Plan.
March 24, 2017-Keystone XL pipeline approved.
March 15, 2017- Vehicle fuel efficiency standards are to be reviewed by EPA and the Department of Transportation.
March 19, 2017-ongoing- Initial budget figures released. Budget cuts from environmental and scientific programs such as EPA and NOAA abound. They are wide-ranging including possibly privatizing or eliminating Energy Star, which lets us know what appliances make sense to buy from an energy use perspective, of course cutting funding for Alaskan villages impacted by rising water due to climate change (because it isn’t happening) to a 97% decrease in funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which would effectively ‘kill’ Lake Erie, which supplies drinking water to about 11 million people. Some little things with big consequences, some big things with huge consequences. Another link to that radical news source National Geographic: news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/trump-cuts-epa-noaa-environmental-science-climate-change-impacts/
March 7, 2017-EPA’s Office and Science and Technology no longer mentions ‘science,’ rather its emphasis is on “economically and technologically achievable performance standards.”
There’s more, but I can’t go on. I have to go outside and fill my hummingbird feeders before the hummers die from chlorpyrifos like the bees.
PLEASE do not give up FIGHTING BACK against all the insanity listed above.
