September 2020 BBC Wildlife 27WILDOPINION
T
heTrumpadministration
hasbeenusing
speciallawsunderthe
coronaviruspandemic
asanexcusetospeed
upitsunprecedented
assaultonenvironmentallegislation.
Mostrecently,anexecutiveorder
signedbythePresidentwillfast-track
newfreeways,powerplants,pipelines
andothermajorconstructionprojects
withoutrigorousenvironmentalreview.
Oilandgaspipelines,coalminesand
otherfossilfuelinfrastructure,aswell
aslarge-scaleloggingoperations,will
alsoescapemeaningfulenvironmental
analysis.Noconsiderationwillbe
giventothelikelyharmtowildlife,
localcommunities,climatechangeor
anythingelsethatmatters.
Thisisn’tthefirsttimeTrumphas
putbusinessfirst– tearingdownany
edificeofclimatepolicyis linkedwith
hiscampaignpromiseto“endthewar
onbeautiful,cleancoal”.
Thistimehe’sclaimingthatthe
economicimpactoflockdowngiveshim
authoritytosuspendenvironmentallaws
inordertokickstarttheeconomy.But
theonlypeopleit’sgoingtobenefitare
thosewhoprofitfromthedestruction
oftheplanetand,predictably,they
‘applaud’theexecutiveorder.Theygeta
freepass,whileeveryoneandeverything
elsesufferstheconsequences.
It’sunclearwhethertheTrump
administrationreallydoeshavethelegal
authorityforthislatestexecutiveorder,
anditslegalityis beinghotlycontested.
Waiversenshrinedinenvironmental
lawswerewrittenforfast-moving
emergenciessuchasHurricaneKatrina
andtheDeepwaterHorizonoilspill–
notforeconomicslowdowns.
But the fact that the Oval Office isMARKCARWARDINEisa frustrated and
frank conservationist.Theconservationistdiscussestheweakeningofenvironmental
law in the US and invites your thoughts on the subject.
MARK CARWARDINE
usingthepandemic
asa reasonis
breathtaking.It’sa
staggeringabuseof
presidentialpowerand
nothingbutanexcuse
tothreatendecadesof
hard-earned,crucial
protectionsforpeople
andwildlife.Andthe
stakesarefrighteningly
highandlong-lasting.
Theexecutiveorderinstructsthe
secretariesoftheTransportation
Department,theDepartmentof
Agriculture,theDepartmentofthe
Interior,theDefenceDepartment
andotherstopursueemergency
workaroundstowaivelong-standing
environmentallawsinordertoexpedite
majorconstructionprojects.Andthat
involvessilencingenvironmentaland
publichealthconcerns.It’soneofthe
biggestandmostaudaciousderegulatory
actionsoftheTrumpadministrationyet.
Federalagencieswillbeallowedto
developcategoriesof‘activities’that
require no environmental assessment atall– andtheywouldhavenoobligation
toconsidertheimpactsofconstruction
projectsonclimatechange.
Intheprocess,it seriouslyweakens
fundamental,long-standingconservation
laws,suchastheEndangeredSpecies
ActandtheNationalEnvironmental
PolicyAct(oncedubbedthe‘Magna
Cartaofenvironmentalprotection’).
ButAmericanenvironmentalistsare
beyondsurprise.Trump’slong-standing
andwide-rangingeffortstodismantle
USenvironmentalregulationspredate
thepandemic.Hehadbeenpresident
formereminuteswhenreferencesto
climatechangedisappearedfromthe
WhiteHousewebsite.Meanwhile,it has
beenalmostimpossibletokeepupwith
thetorrentofexecutiveordersreversing
age-oldenvironmentalprogrammes,
damagingreviewsofconservationplans
andlegislation,drasticbudgetcutsfor
criticalscientificandenvironmental
agenciesandgaggingordersandmore,
asyearsofhard-earnedprogresshave
beenunravelled.
Thegovernmentaffairsdirectorat
theCenterforBiologicalDiversity,an
Americanenvironmentalgroup,sumsit
upperfectly:“TheTrumpadministration
is turningbacktheclocktowhenrivers
caughtfire,ourairwasunbreathable
andourmostbelovedwildlifewas
spirallingtowardextinction.”It is
blatantlyobviousthatit hasnothingbut
uttercontemptforbothenvironmental
protection and public health.MY WAY OF THINKING
Kerry Hargrove/Alamy
Thisexecutive
orderwillfast-
tracknew
freeways,
powerplants,
pipelinesand
other projects.S
T
WHATDOYOUTHINK?If you
wanttosupportMarkinhisviews
orshoothimdowninflames,email
[email protected]Theendangered
black-footedferret
isjustoneUS
specieswithan
uncertain future.