Endorsing Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, two former EPA chiefs, both Republicans, are warning that Donald Trumps energy policy would set the world back decades.
William D. Ruckelshaus, head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Presidents Nixon and Reagan, and William K. Reilly, EPA Chief under George H. W. Bush, signed the joint statement released last week on Clintons campaign website. In it, the two GOP EPA directors state that Donald Trump has shown a profound ignorance of science and of the public health issues embodied in our environmental laws.
Trump Threatens to Destroy GOP Environmental Protections
Ruckelshaus and Reilly warn that Trump is threatening to destroy Republicans positive contributions to environmental protection.
He hasnt a clue about Republicans historic contributions to science-driven environmental policy, the directors criticize. GOP contributions cited in the statement include the incontestable environmental improvements in the restored lakes and rivers, the acid rain controls, the reduction of key air pollutants by 70, 80 and 90 per cent, and the sharp decline in pollution from automobiles even as their numbers more than doubled.
It was Republican President Richard Nixon who founded the EPA in 1970, with William Ruckelshaus appointed as the agencys first director. 1970 also ushered in the Clean Air Act, from which stems all of todays policies phasing out coal pollution.
Revolting Against Trumps Pledged Energy Revolution
This latest GOP endorsement for Clinton was triggered by Trumps recent controversial economic speech in which plans for an energy revolution were revealed. Although widely disparaged, Trump claims his economic plan would create more than 500,000 jobs a year and generate more than $100bn a year in growth.
Reiterating pledges made back in May, Trump promises to repeal all job-killing environmental regulations, including President Obamas capstone Clean Power Plan. Leading the pack of climate deniers, Trump also wants to kill the Clean Water Rule and end the moratorium on new coal mining permits on federal land.
Reilly and Ruckelshaus declare, We Republicans should be shocked, outraged even, at the prospect that all this progress, this legacy will be repudiated and rolled back by Donald Trump. Shocked, outraged, and revolted, even.
GOP EPA Chiefs on Climate Change: The Singular Health and Environmental Threat to the World Today
Ruckelshaus and Reilly state, That Trump would call climate change a hoax the singular health and environmental threat to the world today flies in the face of overwhelming international science and the public conviction and commitment of almost 200 national governments that adopted the Paris Agreement on climate change in December 2015.
Our leadership was essential to that agreement, the two Republican EPA chiefs point out. To back away now, as Trump wants to do, would set the world back decades years we could never recover. The young people in this country deserve far better than that as our legacy.
Its Such a Joke
In January 2016, Trump backed off his Chinese hoax stance a little bit. After Bernie Sanders noted Trumps position on climate change, Trump responded by calling his (ignorant, racist) statement a joke. Making even more of an ignorant, racist joke of himself, Trump told Fox & Friends:
Well, I think the climate change is just a very, very expensive form of tax. A lot of people are making a lot of money. I know much about climate change. Id be received environmental awards. And I often joke that this is done for the benefit of China. Obviously, I joke. But this is done for the benefit of China, because China does not do anything to help climate change. They burn everything you could burn; they couldnt care less. They have very you know, their standards are nothing. But they in the meantime, they can undercut us on price. So its very hard on our business.
Spoken like a drunk a-hole is this all a GOP Commander-in-Chief has to offer these days?
(its down the hall and to the left if you need to barf)
To back away now, as Trump wants to do, would set the world back decades years we could never recover
Dump is right in saying China is an environmental nightmare but his opponents are not right, not all environmental controls are good or reasonable and environmental laws have been used to destroy industries. These people deal in absolutes but thirty years of "climate science" have taught us there are no absolutes, just lies, mistakes and a great deal of bluster and bullshit
he is incorrect that global warming was created by the Chinese, it was created by Maggie Thatcher in order to get the laws enabling nuclear energy enacted. The situation with the chinese exists because of cheap labour and the unwillingness to sanction countries that continue to exploit workers. of course if the US did that, they would have to sanction themselves for exploiting immigrants
not all environmental controls are good or reasonable and environmental laws have been used to destroy industries.
It doesn't matter whether or not you believe in man-made "Global Warming" or "Climate Change." Earth's natural resources are finite and global environmental regulation is necessary to prevent wasteful depletion and pollution. Global population growth demands that we develop a more sustainable approach that does not degrade into a worldwide cesspit.