Eight reasons Trump's 'clean climate' claims fail to stack
up
President told Prince Charles US has ‘among the cleanest
climates there are’. Here’s a reminder of some facts he may have overlooked
Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent
Wed 5 Jun 2019 12.37 BST Last modified on Wed 5 Jun 2019
17.15 BST
Donald Trump believes the US has a “clean climate”, telling
the interviewer Piers Morgan on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that he had informed
Prince Charles in a 90-minute conversation that the US “right now has among the
cleanest climates there are based on all statistics, and it’s even getting
better because I agree with that we want the best water, the cleanest water”.
There are a few important details the president may have
overlooked in presenting a clean bill of health for the US environment, so here
is a handy reminder.
1) Greenhouse gas emissions
The US is still the world’s second biggest emitter of
greenhouse gas emissions, having been overtaken by China more than a decade
ago. In per capita terms, however, the US far outstrips China, though it comes
below some Middle Eastern states with tiny populations and vast fossil fuel
industries. While carbon emissions have been falling, in part because of the
switch from coal to gas, Climate Tracker estimates that the US will fail to
meet its carbon reduction targets set by Barack Obama, to cut emissions by
26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025.
2) Fracking
The US is now one of the world’s biggest gas producers,
thanks to fracking, and about half of its oil now comes from the production
method, which requires the blasting of dense shale rock with water, sand and
chemicals to release the tiny bubbles of fossil fuel trapped inside. This boom has
come at a cost, as the vast water requirements are draining some areas dry, and
pollutants found near fracking sites include heavy metals, chemicals that
disrupt hormones, and particulates. The effects range from memory, learning and
IQ deficits to behavioural problems. Leaks of “fugitive” methane are an
additional contributor to climate change.
3) Fossil fuel exploration
Not content with the US’s existing conventional oil
reserves, and the expansion of the oil and gas industries through fracking, the
US fossil fuel industry is seeking new grounds for exploration – among them,
the pristine Alaskan wilderness. Drilling in the Alaskan wildlife reserve is a
key Trump policy.
4) Fuel efficiency standards
The Trump administration has moved to loosen regulations on
fuel efficiency for cars and vans, which were already less stringent than in
many other countries. Opponents fear this will increase greenhouse gas
emissions and air pollution.
5) International cooperation
Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate
agreement of 2015 cannot legally take effect until after the next presidential
election, in an irony of timing. However, the effect can already be seen, in
the emboldening of other nations considering a withdrawal, such as Brazil,
formerly a strong proponent of action at the UN talks, and the increasing
influence of fossil fuel lobbyists.
6) Climate denial
With the president claiming climate change to be a “Chinese
hoax”, it is perhaps not surprising that the US has some of the highest rates
of climate denial in the world, according to polling by YouGov in collaboration
with the Guardian. Despite this, a sizeable majority of the US public – nearly
six in 10 people – still agree with the science on climate change, and support
action to stave off the worst consequences.
7) Water
Despite Trump’s claim to Morgan that “we want the best
water, the cleanest water – it’s crystal clean, has to be crystal clean clear”,
his recent actions on water have been an attempt to roll back decades of
progress on cleaning up the US water supply. Last December, he announced plans
to undo or weaken federal rules that protect millions of acres of wetlands and
thousands of miles of streams from pesticide run-off and other pollutants.
8) Air
By rolling back Obama-era measures intended to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the Trump administration is also
threatening to increase air pollution, as coal-fired power stations will be
able to spew out toxins once more, according to 14 states who last year opposed
the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans. This is in contrast with China and
India, cited by Trump – along with Russia – as having polluted air. Those
nations are trying to clean up their pollution with stricter limits on what
power plants and other industries can produce.
As the crisis escalates…
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