Donald Trump and the Climate: Policies and Impact

Trump's Stance on Climate Change

Donald Trump, the 47th President of the United States of America, has been in the headlines for his views regarding climate change. Even before his second term as president, during the L.A. fires, Mr. Trump accused the Biden administration of mismanagement and stated that while climate change was playing a role in the incident, the inability of the Biden administration to tackle the situation was the true cause of the severity of the incident. During that time, he vowed to tackle climate-related situations in a more effective and decisive manner. However, that has proved to be an empty promise. This blog delves deeper into the Trump administration’s decisions regarding the climate and their impact.

Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord

Within hours of being elected the second time, Donald Trump decided to leave the Paris Climate Accord, an endeavor that was left incomplete during his previous stint as the leader of the United States. He called the accord a “Ripoff” that was damaging the American economy.

In a press release made by the White House on the 20th of January this year, it stated that America would withdraw from climate pacts like the Paris Accord that aren’t legally binding. The press release justified this by stating:

“In recent years, the United States has purported to join international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country’s values or our contributions to the pursuit of economic and environmental objectives. Moreover, these arguments steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interest of the American people.”

The message is clear: America is reverting back to its nationalistic mindset in a similar way to how it had done during the 1920s and 1930s post the First World War. This fact is exacerbated by the reciprocal tariffs that the Trump administration is set to impose on the 2nd of April, which would not only be a financial burden on many nations but would also result in climate impact, like the increased prices driving up oil prices, incentivizing oil producers to ramp up production motivated by the profit they would earn. This would lead to an increase in climate change phenomena like rising sea levels and global warming that would lead to coastal cities being submerged.

Expanding Oil and Gas Drilling

Apart from calling climate change “fake news” in 2020, Donald Trump vowed to “Drill baby drill” in lieu of the “national energy emergency” to increase the production of oil and natural gas, to embark on a new age of oil and gas exploration in an attempt to power the American dream.

The economic and environmental impacts of these are vast. With the new oil and gas stockpile that the administration aims to create, they would aspire to reduce their dependency on international energy and start exporting American energy on an international stage that is dominated by the Russians and the Arabs. While this would benefit the American economy, the environmental ramifications of these decisions would be detrimental. The USA accounts for 4.23% of the global population but is accountable for 12% of global emissions. These new policies would worsen this already daunting figure by polluting the air, water, and soil due to the drilling for the new oil stockpile.

The F-47 Fighter Jet and Its Climate Impact

Apart from that, the newly announced F-47 fighter jet, named in honor of the 47th American president (Donald Trump), also has serious climate impact. Each individual fighter jet would have a price tag of at least $200 million, making it the most expensive weapon in history. The total program costs for this fighter jet would soar past the billion-dollar mark, a figure that is more than the foreign reserves of many nations.

It is ironic how on one hand America complains about high costs in protecting the environment, and on the other hand, does not bat an eyelid when it comes to developing a new generation of fighter jets. The massive opportunity cost of the development of this fighter jet program is reflected not only by the impact of funds on the Paris Climate Accord but also by the resources that could’ve been diverted to research and development of climate mitigation techniques.

Conclusion: The Long-Term Impact of Trump's Climate Policies

In conclusion, Donald Trump’s environmental policies, or rather the lack of them, highlight a changing attitude towards climate change. This attitude towards the climate could cause detrimental consequences to both the environment and organizations like the Paris Accord that would be hindered by the diversion of funds made by America.

These decisions were made keeping in mind the best interests of the American people. However, the short-term gains of these policies are overshadowed by the long-term impacts they leave on the climate, ranging from rising sea levels, increased pollution, and an acceleration in the rate of global warming. At the current rate, climate change could become irreversible if we do not act now.