Climate Activists, Clean Energy Industry Prepare to Counter Hostile Presidency
Many of Trump’s worst environmental cabinet nominees had their first Senate committee hearings last week, and they’re just as bad as predicted. Climate action and environment advocates are working to expose their terrible records and build opposition to their confirmations—and to their policies if they are confirmed.
Three of the worst were Doug Burgum for Secretary of Interior, Chris Wright for Secretary of Energy, and Lee Zeldin for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Trump’s Pick for Secretary of Interior
Doug Burgum is a former North Dakota Governor, and an enthusiastic cheerleader for increased reliance on fossil fuels (including oil, gas, and coal) and for more drilling on public lands and waters. He wants more so-called “baseload” electric power from coal, a dirty fuel source which even most utilities are anxious to retire.
“Billionaire Doug Burgum’s testimony [last week] shows the extent of his loyalty to Trump’s fossil fuel agenda and proves that he should not be trusted in the role of Interior Secretary,” said League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Conservation Program Director, America Fitzpatrick. “Burgum must understand that as the Secretary of the Interior, he will be tasked with stewarding all of our public lands and waters, not just national parks, and that they are to be treasured, not exploited to line the pockets of his oil and gas cronies. Moreover, his prioritization of an energy policy that promotes risky drilling and oxymoronic ‘clean coal’ would be far costlier for consumers than cheaper, faster, cleaner energy solutions like wind, solar, and geothermal.”
Trump’s Pick for Secretary of Energy
Chris Wright is the CEO of oil company Liberty Energy and a consistent denier of the reality and impacts of climate change. He has falsely claimed, “There is no climate crisis… We have seen no increase in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts or floods despite endless fear mongering of the media, politicians and activists.” In a statement released after Wright’s Senate committee hearing, LCV called his responses “deeply troubling” and noted that “He would not distance himself from his previous statements calling wildfire concerns ‘just hype,’ even as nearly a hundred thousand Angelenos are still evacuated and tens of thousands of homes have burned to the ground.”
Trump’s Pick for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Lee Zeldin is a former member of Congress with a clear anti-environment voting record. “The confirmation hearing for Lee Zeldin, who holds an abysmal 14% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard and has no significant environmental experience, to lead the nation’s foremost agency tasked with protecting the environment raises troubling questions about what he will prioritize,” said LCV Vice President of Federal Policy, and former EPA scientist, Matthew Davis. “Not only did Zeldin vote against the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest investment in clean energy and climate action ever — and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which directed billions of dollars to the EPA to remove all lead drinking water pipes, he also voted to block carbon pollution limits for power plants and against appropriations to extend the national flood insurance program.”
Confirmation hearings will continue for other Trump nominees in the Senate this week, and voting on nominations is expected to begin. See more information about the environmental records and stances of these and other nominees.
Trump’s Executive Orders
On his first day back in office, President Trump declared a “national energy emergency,” and by doing so, consolidated powers to provide more leeway for his agenda.
Subsequently, he released a barrage of executive orders rolling back environmental policies and protections. Of the most noteworthy is the removal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, striking the EPA’s tailpipe emission rules, ordering a pause to all wind permits and loans, and restarting liquified natural gas terminal approvals. He also rescinded the Justice 40 Initiative which sought to address environmental injustices.
We will provide a more comprehensive and thorough analysis in next week’s CIB. While we’re working on our more detailed review of these bad executive orders, please keep in mind that many of them will be vigorously challenged in court, and are likely to be delayed or even blocked. We and our allies will fight back against every inch of the Trump retreats on our environment.
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