Donald Trump and his associates might have a lot to be proud of, or at least they think they do. Previous administrations have indeed implemented policies that caused serious damage to both public health and the environment. In an upcoming book on U.S. law and environmental history, Brigham Daniels and I will delve into a historical pattern that often undermined the President’s actions. Unfortunately, this has led to the destruction of vital species and ecosystems, often with the endorsement of Congress and the courts.
This trend can be traced back through what’s known as the U.S. Environmental Act allocation era (1781-1890) and the Modernization era (1920-1960). After each of these periods, in both progressive and environmental contexts, democratic institutions worked to create a host of local, state, and federal laws aimed at curbing the harm that laws had previously caused or permitted.
While these laws are not perfect, they have indeed aided in the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, as well as in protecting public health from contamination caused by harmful products or developments. They form the basis of contemporary environmental protection. With bipartisan support, investments from the Congressional $1 trillion 2021 Infrastructure Legislation and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act—though long overdue—have initiated an unprecedented transition toward renewable energy.
However, in a mere few months, the second Trump administration has mounted arguably the most aggressive assault on environmental laws in U.S. history. There are far too many illegally executed actions to cover them all, but several stand out.
Here’s a brief rundown of the Trump administration’s moves:
- The “National Energy Emergency” aims to push dirty coal as a primary energy source while ramping up the export of liquefied natural gas, leading to increased pollution and energy costs.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched what is claimed to be the largest deregulation effort in U.S. history, consisting of 31 actions poised to increase pollution.
- Theres also an abolition of interpretations of the National Environmental Policy Act that previously enabled stronger public engagement in environmental decisions, coupled with new procedures that could shorten decision timelines to just two weeks.
- Scientific funding has been significantly slashed, with cuts affecting research necessary for scientific advancement, undermining both integrity and personnel within the agencies.
- Vital environmental protection have been halted or severely weakened, allowing companies to seek rapid exemptions.
- Health and safety programs targeted for cuts have dealt with significant issues like bird flu and milk quality tests.
All of this has occurred in under 200 days since his presidency began.
But perhaps the most damaging step last month was an attempt to reverse the EPA’s long-established conclusion that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases contribute to human and environmental harm. This finding, supported by overwhelming scientific evidence, has long undergirded EPA climate regulations.
This action appears deliberate and is a troubling act of ignoring climate science. It seeks to misrepresent established laws, including Congress’s backing of greenhouse gas regulations as of 2022 and existing Supreme Court rulings. The actions only add to the already shaky state of the U.S. energy market, exacerbated by the administration’s disastrous tariff policies. More importantly, these steps threaten to reverse essential progress for both human and ecological health.
With the unprecedented level of scientific insight available today, the potential risks are immense. The opportunities to support environmental protection while ensuring sustainability are clear, yet the administration’s denial and “legal” challenges to these realities present serious risks. It’s hard to view the second Trump administration as anything other than a disaster in this regard.
In the end, we will see how far the courts will allow this to go, or if Congress will act to put an end to these reckless policies. It certainly appears that this president—cheered on by his supporters—has quickly earned a regrettable reputation.
