Thursday, March 30, 2017

Environmental groups file lawsuit over Trump climate actions

Environmental groups that vowed to fight President Donald Trump’s efforts to roll back his predecessor’s plans to curb global warming made good on their promise Wednesday, teaming up with an American Indian tribe to ask a federal court to block an order that lifts restrictions on coal sales from federal lands. The Interior Department last year placed a moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands to review the climate change impacts of burning the fuel and whether taxpayers were getting a fair return. But Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive order that included lifting the moratorium, and also initiated a review of former President Barack Obama’s signature plan to restrict greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. Environmentalists say lifting the moratorium will worsen climate change and allow coal to be sold for unfairly low prices. “It’s really just a hail Mary to a dying industry,” said Jenny Harbine, an Earthjustice attorney who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Montana on behalf of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Sierra Club, and Center for Biological Diversity. The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit. The Department of Justice declined comment. Environmental groups have been preparing for months to fight the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks, including by hiring more lawyers and raising money. Trump, who has called global warming a “hoax” invented by the Chinese, said during his campaign that he would kill Obama’s climate plans and bring back coal jobs. Advocates said they also will work to mobilize public opposition to the executive order, saying they expect a backlash from Americans who worry about climate change...more

“This is not what most people elected Trump to do,” said David Goldston, director of government affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council.  

Most people didn't elect Obama to designate 553 million acres of national monuments, either, but you guys got him to do it. Now others are doing the same to you on environmental issues. You shouldn't be surprised.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

In May of 2014, Natural Resource Defense Council's senoir policy analyst Amy Mall said:

"It's time to eliminate hurdles for split estate land owners to buy federal oil and gas rights."

Would that automatically remove hurdles for forage rights as well?

I wonder what her policy is, now?

Anonymous said...

.....And, here in the state of Confusionia, we have until April 5th to comment on SB 49 which will enact the most stringent versions of the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, & the Endangered Species Act, as they were written up thru 1/1/2017.

Another bill AB 957, I think, will add 1/4 mile of land setbacks on riverbanks to over 1,300 miles of the state river system.

Will that apply to developed riverfronts - like Old Sacramento - or are they just gonna single out farmers and ranchers, as usual.

Anonymous said...

"This is not what most people elected Trump to do"

This is EXACTLY what people elected Trump to do.

Oh, wait... I thought Trump was elected because of a Russian hack!

Or was it the Communist-like behavoir of bureaucrats towards farmers and ranchers that influenced rural America's vote in the election?