Many of the regulations and advancements gained in recent years have been reversed by the Trump administration, which has taken major actions to sabotage climate change action and initiatives. Using recent studies and administrative directives, this blog article examines the main ways the government is influencing efforts to address climate change.
Deregulation and Executive Orders
The deregulation of environmental laws has been one of the Trump administration's top initiatives. Administrator Lee Zeldin of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 31 steps on March 12, 2025, to repeal important environmental regulations. These include lowering vehicle pollution requirements that were aimed at accelerating the switch to electric vehicles and reviewing limitations on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
These deregulations are presented as initiatives to reduce costs and make energy more affordable for Americans, but they greatly undermine the country's potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
President Trump also signed an executive order to expand wood production on federal land and 280 acres of national forests. In addition to threatening to destroy important ecosystems that are essential for sequestering carbon, this action is meant to increase domestic output.
Language and Policy Shifts
The Trump administration has also made significant modifications to the language and regulations governing climate change. Ironically, President Trump's executive order, "Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship," which he signed in his first few hours in office, placed stringent restrictions on language. Federal websites and publications have gradually eliminated terms like "climate change," "clean energy," and "resilience."
This campaign to reduce the urgency of climate challenges and change public perception includes the removal of words connected to climate change. Federally funded scientists and government workers have also been told to refrain from actions that go against the administration's climate change position.
The issue is made worse by the removal of material about climate change from more than 200 official websites, which makes it more difficult for the general population to find trustworthy information about the subject.
Impact on Global Climate Efforts
The steps taken by the Trump administration have a significant impact on international climate initiatives. The United States is retreating from its leadership position in the fight against climate change by supporting the production of fossil fuels and pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords. This creates a worrying precedent for other countries in addition to impeding international cooperation.
Compared to the previous administration's efforts to invest in renewable energy and lower emissions, the current administration's emphasis on fossil fuel dominance and deregulation represents a clear contrast. Trump's latest actions and the repeal of more than 125 environmental laws and programs during his first term indicate a dramatic turn away from climate action at a time when the globe is struggling to cope with the effects of warming that has surpassed 1.5°C.
Conclusion
Deregulation, wordplay, and an emphasis on fossil fuel development are hallmarks of the Trump administration's climate change strategy. These acts jeopardize previous gains and provide serious obstacles to national and international efforts to mitigate climate change. Strong and successful climate policies are more important than ever as the effects of global warming continue to be seen. However, the actions of the current administration pose a threat to these initiatives, with the repercussions being felt by future generations.
It very frustrating to see the rollback in environmental policy. It is also scary that large amount people in this country do not believe that climate change is big issue. There should be outrage throughout the country about us leaving the Paris Agreement.
ReplyDeleteI’ve actually been thinking about this and how there isn’t major chaos arising due to Trump‘s actions and the removal of the Paris agreement. I agree that there should be an outrage, which I can assume that a lot of people are outraged (aka our entire class), but truly nothing is being done about it unless action is taken within the government.
DeleteThis is an amazing blog post Cooper. You made sure to highlight everything that needs to be focused on with the current state of our government and our president’s actions. It’s very worrisome to know that we as college students unfortunately won’t be able to change government policies. All we can do is keep educating others.
ReplyDeleteIt’s alarming how much climate progress can be undone so quickly. This really shows how leadership choices matter for our future. Thanks for the insightful post, Cooper.
ReplyDeleteThe Trump administration made some pretty drastic moves, like moderating terms used in relation to climate change and pulling the U.S. out of agreements intended to combat the warming of our planet. By focusing on fossil fuels and removing environmental protections, the Trump administration has also slowed down progress in tackling the climate crisis.
ReplyDeleteThe removal of key terms like "climate change" from federal communication is incredibly concerning. It feels like we are moving back in time and forgetting everything society has done for the awareness of climate change.
ReplyDeleteTrump has done everything in his power to sabotage and prevent laws and actions from taking place. He continually abuses his power to bully his way into withdrawing from renewable energy systems and programs. He plans to continue investing and marketing in oil and fossil fuels. So sad.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy that the current administration is completely against the notion of doing environmental justice. It is hard to believe that he has already repealed 125 environmental laws, I am not interested to see what he does next.
ReplyDeleteThanks for covering this important topic Cooper, it is vital to keep a close eye on the Trump Administration and what they are doing to environmental policy. It's insane to me that they've been able to repeal 125 laws/regulations, I hope our state legislators pick up the slack in protecting the environment.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if nothing he does is enough for the right to understand how bad things really are. He just keeps dismantling systems that were set in place for a reason and the rest of us cannot fight back. I hate to see our incredibly diverse country with forests, fields, swamps, lakes, etc. be slowly poisoned overtime.
ReplyDeleteThe Trump administration's aggressive deregulation and language shifts regarding climate change have significantly undermined environmental protections, hindered international cooperation, and reversed progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, jeopardizing global efforts to combat climate change.
ReplyDeleteThe logic is so unsound because even if in the short term energy costs go down, we will inevitably run out of fossil fuel energy, and the same administrators will wish they invested in renewable energy sooner. They are simply accelerating our deaths with no remorse, hoping we will be blinded by short-term money-saving initiatives that don't improve the quality of life of any american.
ReplyDeleteTalking about the language and the modifications that have been made to kind-of like that last book we read about seeing how the verbiage can really put you through a loop
ReplyDeleteThe continuous efforts of the Trump administration to prevent any action on climate change reduction is absurd. Not only is he taking away policies to establish climate action initiatives, but is single-handedly promoting and encouraging already dying industries to continue their practices despite the destruction it has on the planet. It is saddening that our president clearly doesn't care for the well-being of future and existing generations who will have to live in the mess he's creating.
ReplyDeleteThe post covers a lot of ground, all of it disturbing. The impact globally is especially frightening to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone’s sentiment that healthy trees will help prevent forest fires and that it’s terribly sad how leaders can so openly lie to and steal from the citizens. I never imagined that our national parks would be harmed.
ReplyDelete