Trump's Unholy War On The Environment

After a campaign in which neo-fascist ignoramus Donald "Rump" Trump took pains to claim that climate change was a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese, while surrounding himself with the usual gallery of fossil fuel predators, it shouldn't surprise anyone that he's appointed the likes of climate change denier and fossil fuel industry hack Scott Pruitt to head the EPA, and given the go-ahead to the Keystone XL pipeline that will transport the dirtiest of fossil fuels across the middle of America.

Now, we are getting reports that his FY 2017 budget is the most pro-polution, anti-environment one in memory that will cut environmental enforcement and earth sciences programs deeply. In one critical instance, in order to cripple the climate data that scientists rely on, Rump is proposing a cut of 17% in the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, targeting the programs that monitor the changing climate from satellites ("earth observation"). He also wants to move NASA's earth observation activities, shifting those functions to NOAA without funding them. This move will result in the cancellation or downsizing of critical earth science studies necessary to support policies for greenhouse gas reduction. When scientists are less able to quantify changes in the earth's climate, their ability to counter the fossil fuel industry's false claims will be undermined. Moreover, the cuts in NOAA's satellite program will hamper the agency's ability to monitor weather patterns and predict major weather events.

Rump's threatened to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, and has promised (ridiculously) that he will revive the coal industry, among other outrages. With these proposed budget cuts, he wants to blind the scientists that are demonstrating daily that his claims about climate change are lies.