United States President Donald Trump’s plans for environmental regulation laws boil down to one question: Are they good for American workers? Any rule or regulation that doesn’t pass that test will not be approved, according to a press release on his website regarding his 100-day plan.

Trump’s hesitancy to enact new environmental regulation coincides with his plan to eliminate any current regulation that he believes is outdated, unnecessary or not in the best interest for workers.

All “job-destroying” actions brought to fruition under former President Barack Obama’s administration will be retracted under Trump’s administration, including the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the United States rule, according to Trump’s website. The Climate Action Plan was released in 2013 by Obama as a plan to cut carbon pollution in the U.S., prepare for the impacts of climate change and lead international efforts to combat climate change.

Trump also said he is going to abandon the Paris Agreement and stop contributing U.S. tax dollars to global warming programs through the United Nations. Adopted by over 100 countries, the Paris Agreement is the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal with the goal to work toward combatting climate change while adapting to its effects. The U.S. plays a major role in the Paris Agreement, as it produces the second largest amount of carbon dioxide emissions behind China, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Trump has denied the existence of climate change due to human action several times. In an interview with “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace, Trump said “nobody really knows” if climate change is real. According to NASA, 97 percent or more of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends are “extremely likely due to human activities.” NASA also announced earlier this month that 2016 marked the third year in a row that set a new record for global average surface temperatures, which scientists say is caused largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.

A study conducted by Sierra Club concluded Donald Trump would be the only current world leader to deny the science of climate change out of the 195 nations recognized by the U.S. Department of State.

The Trump administration will focus on “real environmental challenges, not phony ones,” according to DonaldJTrump.com. The issues cited as “real” include the need for clean air and clean water. He has also created an “America First” energy plan and said he plans to save the coal industry.

Trump’s philosophy is that energy potential in the U.S. has not been taken advantage of, and he has said he considers this to be a “totally self-inflicted wound.” Under his presidency, Trump has said the U.S. will become energy independent, creating a world where oil cartels and enemies of the U.S. cannot use energy as a weapon.

The untapped oil and gas reserves on federal lands in the U.S. totals an estimated $50 trillion, according to Trump’s website. Becoming energy independent will enable the U.S. to work with Gulf allies to develop an energy relationship that will be part of the U.S. anti-terrorism strategy, he has said.

Moving bureaucracy out of the way of innovation will allow the U.S. will to pursue “all forms of energy” — including nuclear, wind and solar energy, according to his website. The Trump administration plans to remove suspensions on energy production in federal areas and eliminate restrictions on new drilling technologies which could “create millions of jobs with a smaller footprint than ever before.” Trump also plans to ask TransCanada to renew its permit application for the Keystone XL pipeline, which was rejected by Obama in 2015.

Funding produced through energy production will contribute to the rebuilding of infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges. Trump’s website also states that the plan for cheaper energy will boost agriculture in the U.S.

In pursuing forms of energy that have previously been restricted, Trump said there will be regard for “rational” environmental concerns and conservation of natural habitats, reserves and resources.

“In a Trump Administration, political activists with extreme agendas will no longer write the rules,” the Trump website states. “Instead, we will work with conservationists whose only agenda is protecting nature.”

Published on January 23, 2017 at 9:23 pm

Contact Taylor: tnwatson@syr.edu