On his first day in office, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time. Though it was unsurprising, it was certainly a frightening omen of the environmental destruction he would pursue. While his second presidency is only slightly more than 100 days old, it is already marked by significant attempts to dismantle federal government regulations, especially those in the Environmental Protection Agency set in place to ensure public safety.
In March, the EPA director launched the biggest rollback of regulations since the department’s creation in 1970 to try and bolster U.S. energy and automotive industries. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin publicly declared that his team was taking aggressive action against what he referred to as the “climate change religion” in order to reduce living costs for American families. What Zeldin didn’t say is that supporting deregulation ignores the scientists and scholars who advocate for the “climate change religion,” which will have major consequences.
These regulations are critical safeguards designed to protect the public from chronic disease and health complications associated with pollutant exposure in air and water. By stripping essential environmental regulation law, the Trump administration poses a significant threat to the nation’s health and undermines protections that affect all aspects of life.
In this rollback, Zeldin plans to remove greenhouse gas regulations by reconsidering the 2009 endangerment finding. The finding details that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane present a danger to public health. With this discovery, the United States is responsible for keeping the six greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, legally legitimizing regulations detailed in the Clean Air Act. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that greenhouse gases threaten humanity’s survival, the EPA is looking to dismantle the endangerment finding and its efforts to restrict emissions from various industries. Dismantling this clause may lead to extensive removal of greenhouse gas emission limitations that are set in place for businesses and the automotive industry. This will directly impact human health, as increased emissions contribute to global warming and worsening food, water and air quality for everyone.
Similarly, Trump rescinded an EPA rule that limits the discharge of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances into waterways. Companies manufacture PFAS, known as forever chemicals, that break down slowly and accumulate in human and animal bodies. The EPA acknowledges the harm that PFAS inflict on human health, citing issues such as reproductive effects, developmental delays in children, increased cancer risk and hormonal imbalances. Despite this, the Trump administration appears unconcerned about their presence in drinking water.
Ironically, when PFAS were found in paper straws, the administration swiftly banned them, ridding citizens of the dangers of PFAS and pushing the U.S. back to plastic straws. In his executive order, Trump detailed the risks associated with PFAS in the straws as a reason to ban them. This inconsistency highlights a troubling hypocrisy: Trump acknowledges the dangers of PFAS when it is convenient for him, but is willing to allow them in drinking water regulations if it will benefit big business. Such an approach suggests the administration is less focused on protecting people from PFAS and more focused on promoting certain political messages while reintroducing plastic.
Among other chemical deregulations, the administration also plans to overturn particle pollution regulations. These were put in place to limit soot from smokestacks that contain chemicals linked to increased respiratory issues and premature death. Coupled with dismantling the “good neighbor plan,” which required states to limit pollution across state lines, the administration risks impacting all states regardless of their individual regulatory policies.
It is undeniable that environmental regulation sometimes hinders the development of sustainability and green energy. As a result, some liberals have suggested that deregulation could make way for further advancements in renewable energy and emission reduction.
For example, siting is the process of locating wind and solar energy plants on new land, which requires regulated permitting, contracts and negotiations within communities. These processes often include government limitations that can completely halt renewable energy projects.
But this specific type of deregulation isn’t what Trump is trying to do. He is cutting protections that keep the American people safe, while planning to entirely remove incentives like tax credits for renewable energy. Further, he will impede the siting of new facilities to support renewable infrastructure.
Human health will suffer for years to come as a result of the Trump administration’s actions against the environment in its continued disregard for regulation and conservation.
In a time where we may feel powerless against the Trump administration’s rampant and haphazard deregulation, the nation’s focus should shift toward a differing alternative to the status quo of environmental regulation. Actionable goals like those in the Green New Deal would be effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change.
Originally introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Edward Markey, D- Mass., in 2019, it plans to address climate justice while creating high paying and sustainable jobs. Beyond that, it would alleviate the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities and work toward a future with clear sustainability goals. The plan is crucial for laying the groundwork for environmental action in the U.S. for years to come. As a result, Congress must reintroduce and pass this policy framework.
The Green New Deal represents a viable plan for environmental and economic reform, despite Trump’s indignant attitude toward it. In a time when America’s climate impact is critical, this legislation would be successful in protecting our planet and mitigating the impact of the Trump administration’s mass deregulation and environmental neglect.
Elena Nicholson is an Opinion Columnist from Basking Ridge, NJ. She writes about environmental issues and climate change in her column “Climate Watch.” She can be reached at elenagn@umich.edu.
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