Whenever someone mentions windmills as a possible source of sustainable energy, Donald Trump decries the idea as dangerous to birds. When wealthy oil corporations want to kill birds to make their billions, however, Trump stops caring.
BREAKING: Citing To Kill a Mockingbird, a federal judge just struck down Trump's policy which legalized the unlimited killing of millions of song birds every year. Court's opening paragraph below. Case brought by @CenterForBioDiv @ABCbirds @audubonsociety @Defenders @NRDC @NWF pic.twitter.com/IHHUeIYev4
— Kierán Suckling (@KieranSuckling) August 11, 2020
The Trump administration lost its bid in a federal court on Tuesday to roll back environmental protections that fine corporations for practices that endanger birds. The judge, U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, cited To Kill A Mockingbird in her decision.
According to The Washington Post:
‘It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a crime. That has been the letter of the law for the past century. But if the Department of the Interior has its way, many mockingbirds and other migratory birds that delight people and support ecosystems throughout the country will be killed without legal consequence.’
Inspired by @katepkelly, here is my celebration of the court’s rejection of the Trump Admin’s gutting of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act – that time @RepSpeier absolutely destroyed a bad provision in the defense spending bill with SO MANY BIRD PUNS. https://t.co/BcTMZ7dTRs
— Miriam Goldstein (@MiriamGoldste) August 12, 2020
The rollbacks intended to allow anyone, although the greatest beneficiary of the new rule would benefit oil corporations more than any other party, to kill birds as long as they can prove it wasn’t “intentional.” For example, the BP oil spill harmed and resulted in the deaths of thousands of birds, although birds weren’t specifically targeted by the corporation. These rollbacks would have allowed them to escape any kind of penalty for their actions.
Sarah Greenberger, interim chief conservation officer for the National Audubon Society, said:
‘This is a huge victory for birds and it comes at a critical time — science tells us that we’ve lost 3 billion birds in less than a human lifetime and that two-thirds of North American birds are at risk of extinction due to climate change.’
Wearing my favorite bird shirt today to celebrate the court’s rejection of the Trump Admin’s gutting of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act pic.twitter.com/RWBcih1Qwu
— Kate Kelly (@katepkelly) August 12, 2020
Trump’s entire economic plan relies on the deregulation of environmental protection, climate change be damned. Trump lists among his accomplishments deregulation Obama-era policies to protect the environment. In this case, Trump will not be allowed to do so unchecked.
‘Tuesday’s legal defeat was the latest of numerous environmental deregulation efforts the Trump administration has lost in court. In the weeks leading up to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act rule change, the administration lost three court cases in three consecutive days.’
This is massive, no?
(U.S. courts are helping hold back full Trump onslaught. Hanging on til January; even so, Biden will still need a whole term to fix what Trump broke.)
“Interior memo scaling back bird protections is 'contrary to law,' court rules.” https://t.co/4mNlJeWa7S
— Brian Banks (@BrianBanks) August 12, 2020
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
