Waterkeeper Alliance Responds to President Trump’s Executive Order on Climate

March 28, 2017

Today, President Trump signed an executive order that will have grave climate impacts. The order rolls back many Obama Administration initiatives to curb greenhouse gas emission, including the Clean Power Plan –  which aimed to cut carbon emissions from existing power plants 32% by 2030. It also halts the process of modernizing coal mining leasing on public lands, including the study of the climate impacts of the program.

While the order itself does not directly repeal the Clean Power Plan and other climate regulations, it is a signal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin rulemakings that will throw us into climate catastrophe. It is essential for government to support strong policy that regulates dangerous greenhouse gas emissions and not ignore the need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. This order does the exact opposite, incentivizing mining and other fossil fuel extractions while advocating for the repeal of our current climate protections.

“President Trump’s action to gut these climate change initiatives is a shortsighted giveaway to fossil fuel companies and will subject our communities to increased flooding, drought, food insecurity, disease and an economic burden for generations to come,” said Waterkeeper Alliance Executive Director Marc Yaggi. “Americans and all world citizens want and deserve clean water and clean air. Moreover, renewable energy jobs are already far outpacing those of the deadly fossil fuel industry. President Trump will face massive resistance to this misguided executive order.”