During the time Donald Trump and his administration were in office, they have paid less and less attention to major climate change policies. His administration rolled back certain rules protecting wildlife, clean air, clean water, and toxic chemicals.
According to data from Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School, almost 100 environmental and sustainability rules have been reversed since 2020. These rollbacks and softening of rules have removed protections from more than half the nation’s wetlands, weakened limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and transportation, and disregarded the restrictions for mercury emissions from power plants.
During this same period, more land opened up for oil and gas leasing by limiting wildlife protection services. Trump has proposed that should he win, he will repeal federal regulations that were originally designed to cut greenhouse gas pollution, which is one of the major causes of the heating of the planet. Conservation groups, such as tk
drawbacks will cause irreversible damage to the climate, large businesses and conservation groups share a different perspective.
The list of regulations for operating factories, mining for coal, and generating electricity has repeatedly “driven up the cost for industries,” says the New York Times.
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s spokeswoman, explains how he has given large producing greenhouse gas companies “more freedom to do what they do best. Donald Trump stated that if elected again, he would make American energy “independent again,” meaning there would no longer be federal mandates to preserve the environment, and large companies dealing with carbon dioxide, mercury, and other VOCs or volatile organic compounds would pay much less for their operations.
As Biden announced his withdrawal from the election this coming year, Vice President Harris took the lead in determining how she would address climate change if elected. According to the Washington Post, Environmentalists have always praised Harris’s commitment to global warming and sustainability. She created an environmental justice office during her time as a district attorney in San Francisco, which led to her promoting electric school buses and pushing to require cars that produce less air pollution. During the voting of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote, which gave billions of dollars in government subsidies for electric cars, solar panels, and other clean energy. “When we invest in climate, we create jobs, we lower costs, and we invest in families,” says Kamala Harris. For young voters, climate change and environmental sustainability may be key determinants of who to vote for in this upcoming election as the world continues to face rising sea levels, large droughts, and increasing temperatures.
Climate change control and environmental protections are very much dependent on the outcome of this year’s election which is why it is important for people to vote and pre-register to vote to help support a cleaner and healthier future.
Register to vote here!
