Many are wondering what will become of President Obama's environmental achievements when Donald Trump comes into office.
While campaigning, Trump made it clear that the U.S. needs to make domestic energy a priority, not the environment. In order to make the shift back to domestic energy, Trump would need to open federal land to various forms of drilling and mining. The President-elect sees regulations on these industries needless and wants to make a move to eliminate them. Many fossil fuel supporters believe that Trump's plan is the most efficient way to meet the needs of American families.
Mr. Trump has promised that within his first 100 days in office he will cancel the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a UN agreement targeted at addressing greenhouse gas emissions. In order to cancel the agreement, Trump will "...stop all payments of US tax dollars to UN global warming programs." Involved nations prepared for Trump's next steps by quickly ratifying the deal on November 4.
Additionally in his first 100 days, Trump plans to reverse President Obama's initiative to reduce carbon emissions. Obama's Clean Power Plan was aimed to reduce the amount of carbon emissions associated specifically with energy production. Trump believe the Clean Power Plan is too costly and plans make a move back towards coal energy production.
Trump's policies aim to drive the economy, provide cheap energy to American families, and secure resources for future generations. While these goals are something to strive for, it would be a shame to see the reversal of the environmental progress made by the Obama administration. Meeting Trump's energy goals while keeping some environmental regulations is possible with the help of a little compromise on both sides.
Trump aims to limit the role of the EPA, keeping regulations to a minimum. This means environmental responsibility will now fall on local and state governments. Nearly 30 states have put renewable energy standards in place. Additionally, many private companies and cooperations are making a move to meet renewable energy goals.
Hopefully Obama's environmental initiatives are not completely kicked to the curb once Trump takes office. In a perfect world, President-elect Trump will be able to find a balance between meeting energy demands and preserving the environment.
