What Will a Trump Presidency Mean for Climate Change and the Environment?
Whether you love Trump or not, is NOT important.
We all have emotional reactions to the 2016 Presidential Election – but there are important facts to consider here. Environmental facts.
Trump has made it very clear that he does not believe climate change is a major global threat.
Quite the opposite in fact – he wants to bolster the fossil fuel industry and stop spending on climate change prevention. He may even pull out of the Paris Agreement.
Because the US is such a large country, moves like this will inevitably increase the country’s greenhouse gases, leading to speeded-up climate change.
We’re already feeling the effects of climate change – more frequent violent storms, droughts and wildfires, as well as major ice loss at the poles, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and disruptions to global agriculture.
Trump’s stance on climate change goes against physical evidence, near-universal scientific consensus, and analysis and advice from military experts all over the world as well as the U.S. Department of Defense.
Why Deny Climate Change?
Why would anyone decry the evidence of human-caused climate change? Because of the very powerful fossil fuel industry, and the big players who rely on it (such as the Koch brothers). There’s a lot of money involved.
And climate change is very inconvenient – it interferes with large profits, now and in the future.
We need to stop fossil fuel extraction now – but the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want to leave money in the ground.
But What About Jobs?
Many people are rightly concerned about jobs.
In states or towns where coal mining for example, has historically been an important source of jobs, people are concerned for their future. Many feel that environmental regulation has caused this demise – but in fact employment in the mining industry has been decimated not by environmental regulation but by mechanization. It’s cheaper to use machines than men.
In addition, corporations with even small numbers of jobs to offer will shop around for the most advantageous location for them, playing states and cities against each other, looking for lower taxes, government subsidies, and freedom from regulation.
But will efforts to slow climate change also impact jobs? If we #KeepItInTheGround, what will be the economic impact on communities that rely on extraction and production jobs?
The “jobs versus environment” argument allows those profiting from workers at the expense of our planet to divide us. Powerful businesses want us to believe that we can’t have both; they say if you want jobs you can’t protect the environment.
I disagree.
There are solutions that ensure a just and fair transition for workers.
Isn’t it better to find similar work in non-polluting clean energy that has a long-term future, rather than work in an industry that worsens climate change and pollutes water and air?
What about jobs in the greening of chemical manufacturing? Janitorial work using green cleaners instead of health-harming harsh chemicals? Sustainable farmwork instead of ghastly factory farms, accounting and auditing of greenhouse emissions and energy saved as well as profit and loss – these are just a few examples.
International Standing
Let’s not forget the damage to the US reputation abroad.
The United States’ participation in the Paris Agreement proved crucial in its rapid ratification.
If the U.S. pulls out, not only will it impact climate change, but it might encourage other countries to ignore their own pledges.
Irony
It’s ironic that the 2016 election came during COP22, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Last year’s meeting (COP21) was where the Paris Agreement was negotiated.
To quote COP22 president Salaheddine Mezouar:
“The climate change question transcends politics and concerns the preservation of our livelihood, dignity and the only planet on which we all live”
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What do you think is the future of the US under Trump in terms of the environment? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free climate change report here!
Related:
- How many will you get right in this climate change QUIZ?
- Air conditioning and Climate change – the link you hadn’t thought of !
