In his alternative-facts-based reality, Donald Trump poured out one of the strangest Earth Day messages ever. The president spent his first year trying to undo President Barack Obama’s executive orders protecting the environment. Now, Trump is trying to convince over 300 million citizens of the U.S. that by doing so, he was protecting the Earth.
Trump had the nerve to say he was reversing “unnecessary and harmful regulations.” What he really meant was regulations that held corporations responsible for the damage they do.
According to The National Geographic, the president has managed to do the following damage to the health of this planet in just one year:
- Hired anti-environmental head of EPA, Scott Pruitt
- Slowed EPA enforcement
- Pulled out of Paris Climate Agreement
- Cut environment budget, climate and clean-energy programs, clean energy research
- Dropped “climate change” from documents, national security threats, censored climate change websites, scrubbed “climate change” and “science” from EPA and Interior Department websites
- Revoked threatened-species protection, legalized accidental deaths, relaxed protections, dropped protecting whales from fishing nets
- Rolled back car emissions standards, dropped ozone standards, lifted pesticides total ban, loosened toxic air pollution regulations
- Fired or reassigned environmental scientists and science advisers and disbanded climate advisory panel
- Downsized national parks, opened national parks to oil/gas companies, expanded offshore drilling, approved oil pipelines
- Halted clean power plan, mining health study, and revoked sea-level rise flood standards
- Opened streams to mining waste
As a direct result of Trump’s actions, the National Parks Advisory Board resigned in protest and scientists marched on Washington, DC.
The man in the Oval Office said a “market-driven economy is essential,” in his Earth Day Statement:
‘We know that it is impossible for humans to flourish without clean air, land, and water. We also know that a strong, market-driven economy is essential to protecting these resources.’
Then, 45 reasoned illogically “removing…harmful regulations” was necessary:
‘For this reason, my Administration is dedicated to removing unnecessary and harmful regulations that restrain economic growth and make it more difficult for local communities to prosper and to choose the best solutions for their environment.’
Trump has undone federal environmental regulations in favor of “economic progress.” In his upside-down down world, the man in the Oval Office insisted economic growth promoted a healthy environment.
‘Already, we are making great economic progress in concert with – not in opposition to – protecting our environment.’
Not only has Trump been erasing environmental protections as fast as his pen can write, by pulling out of the Paris climate accord, he placed us as the only nation refusing to agree to reduce carbon emissions. That does not sound like he was trying to slow down climate change.
What 45 did was let China, India, and other countries pull ahead in the burgeoning environmental-friendly business, while encouraging them to keep using their polluting fuels.
Trump released his Earth Day statement on Energy & Environment in full below:
‘Our Nation is blessed with abundant natural resources and awe-inspiring beauty. Americans are rightly grateful for these God-given gifts and have an obligation to safeguard them for future generations. My Administration is committed to keeping our air and water clean, to preserving our forests, lakes, and open spaces, and to protecting endangered species.’
‘Economic growth enhances environmental protection. We can and must protect our environment without harming America’s working families. That is why my Administration is reducing unnecessary burdens on American workers and American companies, while being mindful that our actions must also protect the environment.’
‘Rigorous science is critical to my Administration’s efforts to achieve the twin goals of economic growth and environmental protection. My Administration is committed to advancing scientific research that leads to a better understanding of our environment and of environmental risks. As we do so, we should remember that rigorous science depends not on ideology, but on a spirit of honest inquiry and robust debate.’
‘This April 22nd, as we observe Earth Day, I hope that our Nation can come together to give thanks for the land we all love and call home.’
Featured Image via Getty Images.
