Donald trump holding "trump digs coal" sign

Picture: https://undark.org/2019/07/12/trump-environmental-speech/

On January 20th, 2025, Donald Trump was officially inaugurated for his second term as President. During his inauguration, Trump would go on to make many promises that go against what we need regarding the environment, and I plan on going through his promises in this blog. One of the biggest promises he made was unfortunately withdrawal from the Paris Agreement (again) which will set back the U.S. regarding climate change for another four years. It is truly a shame that we as a country have all democratically agreed to put someone in charge that does not believe in climate change. As unfortunate as this is, it is only one of many actions that Trump has decided to take.

The environmental policies of any U.S. president have far-reaching consequences, both domestically and globally. Donald Trump’s first term showed significant rollbacks of environmental regulations, skepticism toward climate science, and an emphasis on the coal industry. Since Trump is now serving his second term, his administration will likely continue these policies, leading to profound environmental changes. This essay explores the potential environmental consequences, including climate policy rollbacks, deregulation of pollution controls, weakened conservation efforts, and diminished international cooperation on climate action.

Another act besides withdrawal from the Paris Agreement was Trump’s plan to revoke an EPA waiver that grants California to set its own emission standard. The “Advanced Clean Cars II” regulations require an increase in the  proportion of passenger vehicles sold in California with zero emission electric batteries, from 35% of vehicles sold in 2026 to 100% in 2035. Unfortunately, Trump revoking this would set us back in terms of emission from average passenger vehicles in the state of California, the nation’s largest auto market. Trump has consistently favored fossil fuels over renewable energy, promoting coal, oil, and natural gas production while downplaying the role of wind and solar power. His return to office could see further subsidies for fossil fuel companies, the repeal of clean energy tax credits, and reduced support for research into alternative energy sources. Throughout his presidency and previous campaigns, Trump has criticized EV mandates, arguing that they harm American workers, increase reliance on China for battery materials, and are economically unviable without government subsidies. He has repeatedly stated that Democrats’ push for EV adoption, specifically under the Biden administration’s policies, will destroy the traditional auto industry, leading to job losses in the U.S. Trump has also promised to roll back EV incentives and regulations if re-elected, advocating instead for the expansion of domestic oil and gas production. His stance aligns closely with fossil fuel interests, and he has sought support from oil and gas executives who stand to benefit from slowing the EV transition. Additionally, he has claimed that consumers do not want EVs, citing reports of slower-than-expected sales and issues like limited charging infrastructure and high costs. His rhetoric often includes false or misleading claims about EVs, such as assertions that they will “kill” the auto industry or that they are environmentally worse than gasoline-powered cars due to battery production. Trump’s opposition to EVs is part of his broader skepticism of climate policies, as he has repeatedly dismissed climate change concerns and withdrawn the U.S. from international agreements like the Paris accord during his presidency. His stance on EVs reflects his populist appeal to working-class voters in industrial states, as well as his commitment to the fossil fuel industry. If re-elected, Trump is likely to dismantle federal policies supporting EV adoption, favoring a return to fossil-fuel-dominated energy and transportation policies.

On top of all of this, Lee Zeldin, a former U.S. congressman and Republican candidate for New York governor, has a mixed record on environmental issues, often prioritizing economic and energy interests over climate policies. As the new head of the EPA, his role would be to lead environmental regulation and policies for the US, but given his track record that is quite a horrible candidate to be the head of the EPA. He has opposed aggressive climate action, including parts of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, arguing it could hurt businesses and consumers. Zeldin has supported expanding fossil fuel development and criticized renewable energy mandates. His stance suggests that he would likely roll back environmental regulations and promote traditional energy sources, potentially slowing progress on clean energy initiatives and climate resilience efforts in New York. Due to Zeldin’s past statement it is likely that his policies would likely favor industries that contribute to carbon emissions while limiting federal environmental oversight. This could slow efforts to combat climate change and protect natural resources, reinforcing a political divide on environmental policy in the U.S.

As of now Trump’s administration has halted all federal approvals of onshore and offshore wind energy technology. Trump said that wind turbines kill birds, are expensive, and are made in China. He also attacked solar energy sources, with his administration freezing $7 billion in funding that had already been awarded for low-income communities to use more solar energy. Since day one, it is clear what Trump’s intentions are: to move the U.S. energy field towards fossil fuel over clean, renewable energy. Amidst all of the climate issues we already know and have proven by science, it is heartbreaking to see we are actively stepping backwards from making better progress. Pursuing more fossil fuel is also not the greatest idea if Trump wants to compete with China, since slowing our progress towards renewable energy would give China a head start in developing more sustainable sources of energy. It is safe to assume that Trump will not prioritize minimizing climate change at all.

 

Works Cited

Nate Perez, Rachel Waldholz, Trump is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement (again), reversing U.S. climate policy.

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/21/nx-s1-5266207/trump-paris-agreement-biden-climate-change

Oliver Milman, How Trump is targeting wind and solar – and belighting big oil

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/03/trump-war-on-clean-energy-big-oil

Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Kirkham, Exclusive: Trump transition team plans sweeping rollback of Biden EV, emissions policies

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/trump-transition-team-plans-sweeping-rollback-biden-ev-emissions-policies-2024-12-16/

Whitehouse Votes No on Lee Zeldin to lead EPA, Citing Big Oil, Dark Money Ties

https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/1/whitehouse-votes-no-on-lee-zeldin-to-lead-epa-citing-big-oil-dark-money-ties