The Other Side of America

From denialism to "environmental and climate sabotage." Here, in the US, are the "trumps" of the first 100 days. On the one hand, there are the symbolic choices and positions and the provocative statements.
1. Words like "climate" and "greenhouse gases" have become taboo, and pages on the topic have disappeared from state department websites.
2. The positions taken against anti-radiation devices and shower aerators, and toilet flushes. Then: washing machines, light bulbs, and dishwashers will return to their old energy standards.
3. The return to government offices of plastic straws, which are among the worst forms of water pollution. By the way: in Italy (where there are too many Trump supporters against the environment), even though they have been declared illegal thanks to the European anti-disposable resolution, straws—even plastic ones—can be sold with the stipulation that they can be washed and reused… a practice impossible to implement.

On the other hand, there is a list of even more serious measures that leave China in charge of the ecological transition.

Adding to the list is the seemingly confusing issue of tariffs. Trump, in reality, accuses European food and environmental barriers and regulations that hinder American trade in Europe (such as PDO and PGI labels that protect food excellence tied to a specific geographical area from imitations). Europe considers food safety measures and bans not approved by the US to be indispensable—think of beef with hormones and growth promoters, or the use of ractopamine, added to cattle and pig feed, which stimulates growth. The same goes for agriculture. Europe is very attentive to our health and our environment. Let's resist the attacks leveled in Italy against our intelligent environmental policies by so many Trump imitators: hands off!

Trump's measures
1. Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. The decision may only become official in a year, but the White House considers the withdrawal effective "immediately."
2. The order to American scientists to halt work on the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report is serious for global research, as is the absence of the US delegation from the meeting in China.
3. NASA has cancelled a technical and administrative support contract with the IPCC. Academic research on climate change and other environmental issues is being hampered by cuts to university funding.
4. Four billion dollars in funding was revoked from the United Nations Green Climate Fund, which helps over 100 developing countries address the effects of global warming and promote clean energy transition projects.
5. Elimination of over 30 environmental regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Suspension of nearly 200 employees working on environmental justice programs.
6. 6,000 EPA employees were also laid off to implement climate change initiatives. In their place: lobbyists, officials, and lawyers with ties to the fossil fuel industry.
7. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Federal Management Agency for emergency management was initiated. 2,700 people were laid off at the Department of Energy.
8. 3,400 people were laid off at the Department of Agriculture.
9. Hundreds of scientists and experts were fired from NOAA, the US agency responsible for weather forecasting, climate analysis, and ocean conservation.
10. In any sector, if courts reject dismissals, employees are still assigned to other roles.
11. Expansion of American timber production with the reduction of regulatory controls on the environmental impact of projects that involve reducing forest cover.
12. "Drill, baby, drill!" The presidential green light has reopened 625 million acres of US coastal waters (one acre equals 4,000 square meters) to previously prohibited offshore oil and gas drilling.
13. Frozen funds for clean energy investments, such as the (temporary?) freeze on offshore wind energy concessions. Cuts in renewable energy funding for those who have invested, a crisis for green technology companies, and an end to the reduction in renewable energy prices.
14.  Revoking vehicle emission limits established by climate-conscious states like California, thus eliminating the car emissions standards required by the EPA by 2035. A war on electric cars, with the revocation of incentives.
15. Redefining the changes to protected waterways established by the Clean Water Act. The result: higher levels of pollution from chemicals used in agriculture, mining, and the petrochemical sector are permitted.
16. Intimidating various individuals, such as Amazon's Jeff Bezos, who had launched a philanthropic foundation and funded it with $10 billion. Now, to avoid upsetting Trump, he has withdrawn the funding.
17. Mining both in the deep sea and along the US coasts to extract nickel, copper, and other rare minerals. The result: creating enormous jurisdictional and environmental problems.


NP June 2025
Carlo Degiacomi