"Whatever you're doing, if it's an environmental-based thing, stop."
Through a series of executive orders during his first days in office, President Donald Trump has sent a clear message: He's making cuts on environmental protections.
What's happening?
Reuters reported that on the heels of initiating a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Treaty, the Trump administration has "halted all pending environmental litigation and reassigned four career Justice Department attorneys focused on environmental issues." The attorneys were notified in an email that they would have 15 days to accept the new assignments or face consequences.
The Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division handles bringing cases concerning air and water pollution, animal welfare and public safety as it relates to environmental concerns, as well as defending government agencies.
Federal financial assistance has also been suspended through the EPA, according to a report posted by NBC News.
Trump has often called climate change a "hoax" and aims to cut programs and regulations designed to protect the environment by restricting the development of energy projects. In his first term, his administration rolled back around 100 environmental rules and regulations.
Protecting the environment and factoring climate change are not truly partisan issues. An impressive 94% of all voters said protecting America's lakes and rivers is important in a 2024 poll. More than half of Republican voters expressed some level of concern about global warming in a 2023 poll, and 71% of young rural conservative voters support clean energy, with the size of the Conservative Climate Caucus increasing in recent years.
Still, partisan politics plays a factor in agreeing about action in these areas, at the very least, and in an article detailing Trump's environmental policies and the process of these executive orders, WilmerHale detailed that Trump rescinded 80 EOs that were key to President Joe Biden's environmental agenda.
Why are Trump's executive orders concerning?
These EOs affect the oversight of natural resources and environmental crimes as they aim to freeze all pending environmental regulations. This could encourage more invasive energy exploration and consumption, which could place a great burden on local ecosystems and the planet as a whole.
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Definitely 👍 Jackson, Mississippi's WLBT3 reported comments made by City Attorney Drew Martin. "As far as I can tell, the executive order says 'Whatever you're doing, if it's an environmental-based thing, stop.'"
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If Trump's agenda moves forward, it will likely have negative consequences on the environment in terms of increased energy use, more pollution, and overuse of natural resources.
What can we do to help fight this agenda and protect the climate?
Martin hopes that pauses in regulation will be brief.
One of the most effective ways to help fight EOs that could potentially negatively affect the environment is to vote for pro-climate candidates and support leaders who make combating climate change a priority, regardless of which side of the aisle they are on.
Educating yourself and raising awareness is also helpful. The Cool Down has a helpful guide to suggest actions you can take to make a positive impact toward slowing down the planet's overheating.
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