Republican Presidential Candidates Already Talking About Dismantling Environmental Protections

authordefault
on

There are currently no candidates seeking the Republican nomination for President in the United States that hit the following three points: Climate change is real, human activity is making it worse, and we need to act. To make matters worse, these reality-denying politicians are already laying out their plans on how they will scale back environmental protections if they ever make it to the Whiteย House.

The current GOP frontrunner, Donald Trump, said in a recent interview that his budget cuts would focus on two important federal agencies: The Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to Trump, what the EPA does is a โ€œdisgrace,โ€ and that โ€œevery week they come out with newย regulations.โ€

When Trump was pressed about who would be in charge of protecting the environment after he destroys the EPA, he responded by saying that the environment would be โ€œjustย fine.โ€

What Trump is doing here is jumping on the same pro-business, anti-environment bandwagon that has become the staple of modern Republican talkingย points.

There is no evidence whatsoever that supports his claim about regulations harming businesses. In fact, study after study has confirmed that regulations actually create more jobs than they cost and that they create an overall economic benefit to the economy as aย whole.

So Donald Trump is really saying that the profit margin of an individual business is more important than the health of the overall economy (and, of course, it is more important than theย environment).

But Trump is not the only Republican presidential hopeful out there using outdated talking points to justify his attack on the EPA. Republican Senator Marco Rubio has also made it clear that the EPA would be dismantled under hisย watch.

During his first major speech on his energy policy last week, Rubio told a crowd that, if elected, he would immediately do away with the EPAโ€™s Clean Power Plan, and that he would speed up the permitting process for new oil and gas drillingย leases.

He went on to say that he would cut 10 other unspecified agencies that he says are unfairly creating regulatory burdens for the energy industry. Overall, Rubioโ€™s policy reflects the pervasive Republican attitude towards the dirty energy industry, and that is to let them drill whenever and wherever they like regardless of theย consequences.

Remarkably, Rubio has not been on the receiving end of too much cash from the dirty energy industry, with less than $700,000 given to his campaigns from the industry. But, considering the fact that heโ€™s only had two election campaigns for a national office so far, thatโ€™s actually a pretty hefty sum. And his pro-drilling stance is likely to net him even more from the industry as his presidential campaign continues to moveย forward.

While Republicans have made attacking the EPA a centerpiece of their campaigns for years, they have made little progress in actually dismantling the agency. The only area where they have had success is in opening up new areas for energy exploitation and in securing millions of dollars from the dirty energy industry, so these tired talking points are likely just a ploy to get campaignย dollars.

But thatโ€™s not a chance that any of us should be willing to take, considering the fact that the fate of our environment and health is on theย line.

authordefault

Farron Cousins is the executive editor of The Trial Lawyer magazine, and his articles have appeared on The Huffington Post, Alternet, and The Progressive Magazine. He has worked for the Ring of Fire radio program with hosts Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Mike Papantonio, and Sam Seder since August 2004, and is currently the co-host and producer of the program. He also currently serves as the co-host of Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV, a daily program airing nightly at 8:30pm eastern. Farron received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of West Florida in 2005 and became a member of American MENSA in 2009.ย  Follow him on Twitterย @farronbalanced.

Related Posts

on

Decision a blow to campaigners, who say the ads gave Saudi Aramco unearned climate credibility.

Decision a blow to campaigners, who say the ads gave Saudi Aramco unearned climate credibility.
on

UKโ€™s first parliamentary debate on the issue drew comparisons both with tobacco industry tactics and the industry's now widely accepted ad ban.

UKโ€™s first parliamentary debate on the issue drew comparisons both with tobacco industry tactics and the industry's now widely accepted ad ban.
on

Labour's Jacob Collier warns parliamentary debate of "coordinated strategy" by oil companies to delay climate action.

Labour's Jacob Collier warns parliamentary debate of "coordinated strategy" by oil companies to delay climate action.
on

Critics fear that Equinorโ€™s latest UK education deal is aimed at quelling opposition to North Sea drilling.

Critics fear that Equinorโ€™s latest UK education deal is aimed at quelling opposition to North Sea drilling.