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Today, HEAL Utah condemned the Trump Administration’s repeal of the Clean Power Plan. The CPP was an important step in helping America’s economy transition to a clean energy future. The President and EPA Administrator Pruitt claim the CPP is a burdensome environmental regulation which is costing jobs and hampering growth. By rolling back the plan, the Administration will do more harm then good to both our economy and enviroment.
The Clean Power Plan was crafted with the help of scientists, economists, industry experts, and environmental policy analysts. It was designed to create a smooth transition away from fossil fuels and address the problems of man-made climate change. The plan would have been implemented in a way that encouraged economic growth and minimized job loss.
“The repeal represents another one of the Administration’s empty promises to rural communities,” says HEAL Utah’s Senior Policy Associate Michael Shea. “Rather than working to make the law better, President Trump is using a cleaver to gut it. It will make it harder for these affected regions to diversify their economies and move away from a failing industry.”
Despite the Administration’s claims, the loss of coal jobs is largely due to market forces and not environmental regulations. America’s transition to clean energy has long been underway and it’s trajectory will be difficult to shift. Markets are moving away from coal and toward adoption of a more diversified portfolio that includes renewable energy.
The Clean Power Plan is part of a larger global effort to help curb the effects of global warming. In 2017, we have experienced the second-hottest year on record, faced increasingly volatile and destructive hurricanes and typhoons, and endured an unprecedented year of wildfires that have put people’s lives at risk. Instead of addressing the root of the problem, this Trump Administration continues to deny the scientifically-established link between carbon emissions and climate change impacts.
“The debate has long been over,” says Shea. “There is overwhelming consensus that human activities impact climate among scientists, industry leaders, policy makers, and the rest of the world. The Paris Agreement, from which the Administration has also withdrawn, was signed by over 200 countries including China and India. By rolling back the CPP the Administration is further harming America’s standing in the eyes of the world.”
The clock is running out and the world is watching. It is time America’s leaders see the true threat of climate change and take steps to address it.
Contact
Michael Shea
Senior Policy Assoicate HEAL Utah
801-706-1885