President trump has signaled that he will defend coal and end job-crushing regulation of miners in an executive order. According to AP the dismantling of Obama environmental efforts will get a boost. Central is a review of the Obama's Clean Power Plan along with a cluster of other measures. The aim is to grow domestic energy with increased emphasis on fossil fuels.
Science is deemed wrong
The Trump effort breaks with a preponderance of scientific opinion that regards climate change as real and says it must be checked. Trump has previously blamed warming on the Chinese while saying he does not believe in the science.
The New York Times reports that Trump will end a moratorium on coal leases located on government land, The moratorium has been in force for 14 months.
Environmentalists act
As Trump seeks to undo the Obama efforts to deal with climate change, groups like Greenpeace are revving up to continue fighting fossil fuels. Between activism and court battles, the upshot of the Trump effort could be both educational and a spur to a continued push to end fossil fuel use forever.
90 meters above ground, our international director @bunmcd protests against Total’s oil drilling plans. #SaveTheAmazonReef #BreakFree pic.twitter.com/Ltnt2bm7u1
— Greenpeace Belgium (@greenpeace_be) March 27, 2017
MORNING BRIEF: Trump set to undo Obama's action against global warming https://t.co/qWerfLg4cL
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 28, 2017
A casual attitude
Trump's attitude to environmental issues has been and remains largely casual.
He has not concerned himself with the science because he professes not to believe it. He has pitched his remarks to themes related to jobs and the restoration of past industrial glory: Both glory and jobs
Boosterism
Most recently this morning Trump tweeted that he is bringing back jobs by reviving the automobile industry. He says Ford will invest in three Michigan plants and concludes that car companies are coming back to the US.
And then concluded with JOBS! stated three times for emphasis.
Big announcement by Ford today. Major investment to be made in three Michigan plants. Car companies coming back to U.S. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2017
Pres. Trump to sign executive order on Tuesday that will dismantle Obama administration's environmental regulations https://t.co/EYDJpxLfe7 pic.twitter.com/0RR3Vi0t88
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 28, 2017
Zap the 'endangerment finding' -- a conservative challenge
Environmental fight: Pruitt takes fire from conservatives in climate showdown https://t.co/1x0fRCcMnU pic.twitter.com/tVWc88lfKh
— POLITICO (@politico) March 28, 2017
There is an elephant in the room largely ignored but highlighted by Politico.
It is called the endangerment finding and was EPA's analysis that climate change could have disastrous health consequences. Conservatives want Trump to zap this finding in today's order. The smart money is that if The President does kill the endangerment finding he will face years of court challenges.
