This story was originally published by grist and is reproduced here as part thereof Climate Desk cooperation
Within hours of being sworn into office Monday, President Donald Trump announced a raft of executive orders and policies to boost oil and gas production, protect the environment, withdraw from the Paris climate accord and undo environmental justice initiatives enacted by former President Joe Biden. Biden.
Trump calls climate change “fraud“And hired Fossil fuel Industry executives and their cabinet are climate sceptics. His first day’s actions represent a complete overhaul of the nation’s climate agenda and set the tone for his administration’s approach to energy and the environment over the next four years.
“Drill, Baby, Drill”
Among the key steps Trump took on Monday was to declare “an energy emergency,” which he framed as part of an effort to control inflation and lower the cost of living. he commitment “Using all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure,” an unprecedented move The White House may approve Greater authority to expand fossil fuel production. He also signed an executive order Encouraging energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters,” and other Expediting Permitting and Leasing in Alaskaincluding the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
“We’re going to have the most oil and gas of any country in the world, and we’re going to use it,” Trump said in his speech.Inaugural speech. “We’re going to drill, baby, drill.”
D US Strategic Petroleum Reserves It can store 714 million barrels of crude oil, but currently holds about 395 million. Under his administration, he said, the cache will be filled “right back up.” He also said the country would export energy “all over the world”.
“We will be a rich nation again,” he said, standing inside the Capitol Rotunda, “and it is liquid gold under our feet that will help.”
Richard KleinA senior research fellow at the international nonprofit Stockholm Environment Institute, noted that fossil fuel companies extracted record-high amounts of oil and gas during the Biden administration. Even if it is technically possible to increase production further, it is not clear whether this will reduce prices.
Then KamenAn energy professor at the University of California, Berkeley, says it’s a “downright lie” that increasing fossil fuel extraction will reduce inflation. He agreed that the United States should declare a national energy emergency — but for the exact opposite reason that Trump had in mind. “We need to move quickly to clean energy, investing in new companies across the United States,” Kamen told Grist.
Exiting the Paris Agreement (again)
Trump has once again fulfilled his promiseWithdrawal from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement195 countries have agreed to limit global warming in the UN treaty, which the new president described as a “rip-off” on Monday. In addition, Dr. signed an executive orderThe US will withdraw from the agreement— titled “Putting America First in International Environmental Accords” — Trump also signed a letter to the United Nations on the withdrawal motion. The contract will be due to regulationsone yearto formally withdraw, meaning US negotiators will participate in the next round of talks in Brazil at the end of the year. But by this time next year, the U.S. could join Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries not part of the deal.
“It makes no sense for the United States to willingly give up political influence and miss opportunities to shape the exploding green energy market,” said Annie Dasgupta, president and CEO of the nonprofit World Resources Institute.said in a statement. According to one, 2 in 10 Americans support withdrawing from the Paris AgreementpollBy Associated Press.
Trump’s announcement comes just 10 days after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the 2024 EarthWarmest year on recordmarked by aLife-threatening heat wavesFires, and floods around the world. Experts say the situation will only get worse if the U.S. and other countries don’t do more to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
“So much of life on Earth is messed up,”Climate scientists wroteLast October. They noted then, even before Trump’s election, that global policies were expected to increase temperatures by 2.7 degrees Celsius (6.9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100.Analysis by Carbon BriefIt is estimated that a second Trump administration would result in an additional 4 billion metric tons of climate pollution, which would negate the emissions savings from the global deployment of clean energy technologies over the past five years—twice as much.
Reverse course on electric vehicles
Trump has also taken actionRepeal the “Electric Vehicle Order”.Automate keeps his campaign promise to support workers.
“In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car you want,” he said in his inaugural address — although there areThere is no national orderElectric vehicle sales are required and customers can buy any vehicle they want. The Biden administration promoted the technology by finalizing rules that limit the amountIn order to avoid contamination of the tailpipe over timeElectric vehicles will make up the majority of automobiles sold by 2032. Under Biden, the United States is a$7,500 tax creditEVs are planned to be domestically manufactured and funneled to consumers for purchase$7.5 billionTowards building charging infrastructure across the country.
“Bringing back incentives to build electric vehicles in the U.S. would cost jobs as well as raise the cost of travel,” said Costa SamarasBiden is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University who has served as a senior policy leader in the White House. “The fuel consumption of an electric vehicle is between one-third and one-half that of driving on gasoline, not to mention the benefits of reducing air pollution. Ultimately, to lower energy prices for U.S. consumers, we must diversify the energy sources we use and ensure they are clean, affordable and reliable.”
Abolishing environmental justice initiatives
TrumpA single executive order was signedUndoing nearly 80 Biden administration initiatives, including rescinding the directive to federal agencies to include environmental justice in their missions. Biden-era policy protected communities under pressure from pollution and ordered agencies to work more closely with them.
The move is part of a broader push that Trump described His inaugural address as an attempt to create a “color-blind society” by preventing the government from “attempting to socially engineer race and gender in every aspect of public and private life”. Klein said the motive was “embarrassing.” Kamen said it was a “huge mistake” to move away from environmental justice priorities.
Blocking new wind power
Officially TrumpNew offshore wind leases prohibitedAnd will review federal permitting of wind projects, “good on the promise to end leasing large wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers.” This move may face resistance from members of his own party. DTop Four States for Wind Production— Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas — solidly red, and unlikely to concede. Even Trump’s pick for Secretary of the Interior, Doug Bergum,Wind power refuses to be deniedDuring a hearing last week, he said he would pursue an “all of the above” energy strategy.
Many state and local policymakers, including members of America Is All In, a climate coalition made up of government leaders and businesses from all 50 states, have pledged to take climate action in the absence of federal leadership.
“Regardless of federal government action, climate The mayor is not backing down from our commitment to the Paris Agreement,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. in a statement. “Our constituents are looking to us to meet this moment and provide meaningful solutions.”
