Dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a serious offense against our environment and a danger to our health. President Donald Trump, Chief of staff Ryan Jackson and Scott Pruitt, head of the EPA did just that this week.
Prior to heading the EPA, Scott Pruitt was the attorney general who sued the EPA to stop President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which imposed limits on coal-fired power plant emissions. President Trump called the EPA a disgrace and promised to reduce it to 'tidbits' in hopes of creating economic growth.
Prutt denies climate change
A report, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, summarized the findings of 2,000 international scientists. They claim it is extremely likely that the steep rise in CO2, along with other greenhouse gasses such as methane, has caused most of the global warming since the 1950's. Pruitt denied the scientific claim that climate change is caused primarily by carbon dioxide emissions.
Aimed at undoing President Obama's efforts to fight climate change, Donald Trump signed an executive order dismantling the EPA and opened up the floodgates for the fossil fuel industry and manufacturing companies who, up until this week, have had to comply with EPA regulations.
Tuesday's executive signing
Trump was proud to proclaim that his administration was rebuilding America and “ending the theft of American prosperity.” Jackson wrote that Tuesday's executive signing was important for the EPA, that they would no longer have to make a choice between growing economically and protecting the environment.
Scientist, regulators and other EPA employees were insulted, frustrated and angered by the administration's behavior. In the stroke of one scribbled signature, Trump destroyed years of their hard work. Work that involved regulations, rules, and laws that were put in place to protect the U.S. environment and the American people.
Without any remorse or consideration for those who were just fired, and made to feel like unwanted baggage, Trump and his merry Cabinet members celebrated the policy change with members of the energy industry who had been constrained by the Obama administration and their policies.
