Trump’s Day One Power Move: How Authoritarian Policies Threaten Our Environmental Safeguards

In Washington, President Trump has taken bold actions that threaten our environment. Today, he directed federal agencies to reduce protections for clean air, water, and public lands. These actions aim to ramp up oil, gas, and coal extraction from these lands, risking severe climate damage if not stopped.

Kierán Suckling, director of the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized Trump’s approach. “No one in American history has shown more disregard for the environment than Donald Trump,” he said. Suckling emphasized the importance of fighting back against Trump’s anti-environmental policies, stressing that they are unpopular and harmful to the health of our planet and its wildlife.

On his first day, Trump signed several executive orders, including:

• Declaring a “national emergency” to boost oil drilling onshore and offshore, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, which aims to combat climate change.
• Revoking California’s authority to set stricter emissions standards for vehicles.

Despite the strong environmental laws in the U.S., Suckling argues that Trump’s actions, which seem aimed at benefiting his allies, will face legal challenges. “Emergency powers don’t allow a president to ignore environmental safeguards,” he said. “We will fight each of these harmful attacks in court.”

Interestingly, Trump’s push for increased drilling comes at a time when the U.S. is already the largest producer of fracked gas globally. Record oil production was achieved in 2024, a year that also saw unprecedented temperatures due to climate change.

Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement will take a year to complete. Trump had previously opted out during his first term, and President Biden quickly rejoined when he took office. The U.S. has a long history of supporting climate agreements, dating back to the ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.

Trump’s effort to undermine California’s vehicle standards may also be legally questionable. In 2022, the EPA reinstated California’s authority to set its own emissions standards, highlighting the state’s unique pollution challenges.