There are similarities between the policy actions of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government and the nascent Trump Administration. The differences in approach between these two examples are also telling.
The news so far regarding to the Trump Administration's approach to environmental policy has been unsurprising, but alarming nonetheless.
In one week, news leaked of the administration's plans to freeze grants at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Andrew Revkin and Jesse Eisinger reported on the freeze, as did Katie Sheppard. Brad Plumer followed with an explainer post that provides additional information about EPA grants.
The Trump Administration will include former Oklahoma Attorney General and devout climate change denier Scott Pruitt, who has been tapped to lead the EPA. Planetizen correspondent Irvin Dawid has provided continuing coverage of the implications of that choice by President Trump.
The Trump Administration has also removed all climate change information from the White House website and shut down the Twitter handle of Badlands National Park for tweeting climate change research.
For those looking for some precedent to these anti-environmentalist actions, look no farther than the U.S.'s neighbor to the north, Canada. An article by Sarah Zhang takes a look at Stephen Harper, who served as the prime minister of the Canadian government from 2006 to 2015.
According to Zhang, under Harper, "the Canadian government routinely prevented scientists from talking to the media, while downplaying the effects of climate change."
The climax in what some have called Canada’s war on science was Bill C-38, a 2012 budget bill that stealthily stripped away environmental protections and cut funding at research institutes around the country. Government scientists lost their jobs, and monitoring stations shut down.
What stemmed the tide of anti-environmentalist action in Harper's Canada? Protests, and lots of them. To get more perspective on Harper's policies, and how they might inform an understanding of the actions of the Trump Administration, Zhang speaks with Chris Turner, a Calgary-based environmental journalist and author of The War on Science: Muzzled Scientists and Wilful Blindness in Stephen Harper’s Canada.
FULL STORY: Looking Back at Canada's Political Fight Over Science
States Sue Trump Administration Over Suspended Clean Transportation Rule
A coalition of government bodies from eight states around the country has sued the Trump Administration, claiming that the U.S. DOT unlawfully suspended an emissions accounting rule.
California Adopts CEQA Reforms for Infrastructure, Leaves Out Residential
The state of California adopted reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pertaining to climate-friendly infrastructure projects, but residential development interests hoping for relief from CEQA will have to wait.
Supreme Court Guts the U.S. EPA’s Ability to Limit Carbon Emissions
The consequences of this ruling have long been foretold. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now officially barred from the fight against climate change, Congress will have to act to reduce carbon emissions.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
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