Updates | The Week of April 10, 2017
Ian Eppler // 4/16/17 //
Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, visited a coal mine to announce the “war on coal” was over (The Hill).
- Pruitt also announced he believes the United States should exit the Paris Climate Agreement, putting him at odds with other Administration officials (Inside Climate News).
The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the Trump administration over its proposed border wall for violating laws protecting endangered species (The Hill).
Environmental groups filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by fossil fuel groups asking the Environmental Protection Agency to delay or reconsider a rule that would further regulate chemical plants (CNN).
Congress should act to maximize competition before President Trump’s infrastructure plan is released, urges Chuck Goodrich (The Hill).
U.S. climate policy needs to be able to withstand changing political winds, argues Lauren Craft (Energy Intelligence).
Oil and gas companies may help environmentalists lobby for a carbon tax, writes Tina Rosenberg (NYT).
- But now is a bad time for a carbon tax, argues Patrick J. Michaels at the CATO Institute.
A lot more is at stake than just climate change with the proposed EPA budget cuts, argues Hiroko Tabuchi in the New York Times.
- The budget cut that will eliminate four of NASA’s climate science missions is worrying scientists (NYT).
The US delayed a joint climate statement at the end of the G7 summit because the Trump Administration is reviewing its policies (The Hill).
President Trump’s infrastructure proposal is running into familiar roadblocks: suspicious Democrats, a divided GOP, and questions about the math (Politico).
Trump Appointees in a variety of environmental and land-use posts do not have much subject-area expertise, but they do have fossil fuel connections, alleges the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.
The Environmental Protection Agency is continuing its shift away from climate change programs (The Hill)
- The EPA may also repeal ozone-pollution rules (The Hill).
- The Trump Administration plans to retract offshore drilling restrictions (The Hill).