Trump's First 100 Days are a Climate and Environmental Nightmare

Trump's first 100 days have been a dismal failure. Trump failed to deliver on almost every single one of his promises leading many to conclude that the self-proclaimed deal-maker can't seem to close. True to his word he is making progress on one front, depriving Americans of clean air and clean water.

Trumps Muslim ban failed, his attempt to pass health-care legislation also failed. Congress will not finance his wall and nor will Mexico.  Rather than drain the swamp he has made the swamp bigger. The president has rewarded the wealthy on the backs of the poor and the middle class. His one-page reward-the-rich tax plan does not have a snowball's chance in hell of passing and if it were ever enacted by Congress it would trigger economic ruin.

Republicans Trying to Kill the EPA Quickly

Trump drew first blood with an Executive Order that enfeebled some of the EPA's activities, now Republicans are going in for the kill. They recently proposed a bill that seeks to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Known as H.R.861, the bill has the following self-explanatory title: "To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency."

While this bill is unbelievably destructive for the American people it should come as no surprise when you consider Republican obstructionism for the last eight years and the man who is now President of the United States. Within his first two weeks in office, Trump signed an Executive Order that targeted the EPA.

Republicans Opposing Trump Say he is Dangerously Unqualified to be President

An unprecedented number of Republican insiders have indicated that they cannot bring themselves to support Donald Trump even if he is their party's Presidential nominee. Some have said they will vote for Hilary Clinton, others have opted to leave the GOP altogether.  Republicans who refuse to endorse Trump include past presidents, governors, senators, representatives, experts and aides.

The reasons for the exodus should be obvious to all. Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims.

Make no mistake about it the GOP is not a victim of Trump, they created this monster through their own failed strategies. Trump was conceived through their pandering to the basest aspects of the American electorate. They are responsible for the outrage at government due to their legislative obstructionism.

Republicans had been flirting with racism for a long time. The election of Barack Obama appears to have sent older white Americans over the edge. They see their power being diluted by people of color and progressive ideologies. Rather than assuage their insecurities, and usher them into the modern world, Trump stokes the fires of fear.

Climate Action and the Binary Choice between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump

When it comes to climate and the environment, the DNC made it abundantly clear that the Democratic ticket is a far better choice than the Republican alternative. Despite what some are saying the Democrats are the only choice. However, Trump's lies and ignorance are being bolstered by misrepresentations from the left.  At the DNC speakers praised Hilary Clinton's support for climate action and they lauded the most progressive Democratic platform in the party's history. This is in stark contrast to the Republican National Convention, the GOP's platform and Donald Trump's own words.

Trump Promises to Kill Climate Action in RNC Speech: The False Flags of Fear and Division

As the Republican National Convention drew to a close Donald Trump delivered a speech in which he made it clear that he will dismantle US efforts to address climate change all while exacerbating its cause. He wants to get rid of environmental regulations and expand the domestic production of fossil fuels. Here is a succinct analysis of climate and environment related remarks made by Trump during his acceptance speech at the RNC on July 21, 2016.

Climate Avoidance, No-shows, Discord and Nepotism Mark the Start of the Republican National Convention

As an omen of what is to come, the Trump motorcade had an accident on the way to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. A Trump presidency would not only be calamitous for the economy it would likely push us past climate tipping points. Trump has indicated that he will double down on fossil fuels and this means that if Trump wins we all lose. 

There continues to be determined focused resistance to Trump's Presidential bid from almost all quarters of American society. The small but growing number of Republicans who accept climate science will not be at the convention along with a surprising number of others. Trump has little support from Hispanics, blacks, millennials and women.

Trump's Pick for VP Fails to Secure Support from the Koch Brothers (Videos)

The Republican presidential nominee's choice of VP suggests that the Trump camp may have been hoping to secure support from conservative Christians and the Koch brothers (David and Charles). Earlier this week Donald Trump unceremoniously revealed that Michael Richard "Mike" Pence as his pick for his Vice Presidential running-mate.

Pence is a climate denier and supporter of dirty energy who has sat in the House of Representatives where he amassed an anti-climate and anti-environment voting record.  He has been the governor of Indiana since 2013 where he has been a vocal critic of the Clean Power Plan.

Trump Takes his First Beating with More to Come

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has taken his first beating. His ill informed and contradictory statements make for easy fodder. Thinking people recoil in horror at Trump's populism. The man known as "The Donald" has been variously described as a con-man, pathological liar and fascist. On June 2nd the likely Democratic Nominee Hilary Clinton lashed out at the Republican presidential nominee. The verbal lashing was the first time that a rival has taken on Trump since failed GOP contender Ted Cruz took his best shot.

A Trump Presidency Would Kill Climate Action and Push us Past Irreversible Tipping Points

The fate of climate action and by extension the health of the planet and all its inhabitants depends on who Americans choose as their next President. The choice is between two unpopular candidates, however the leading Democratic candidate has indicated she will stay the course of the Obama administration's climate leadership while the Republican nominee has vowed to end President Obama's slate of green policy initiatives.

Trump Could Win and We All Could Lose

Anyone who cares about the environment, the economy, business, responsible governance, civility or basic human decency is quite right to be terrified by the prospect of a Trump presidency.

Many people think that the combination of deep political divisions within the GOP and Trump's own lunacy will make the Republican nominee unelectable. However, as Van Jones has cautioned, he could still win. The divisions will be smoothed over and the powerfully machinery of the GOP will add to the horrifying prospect that Trump could actually be elected President.

Trump Wants to Mine Coal Frack for Gas and Drill for Oil

Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump is not only invested in the fossil fuel industry he is seeking to expand its role in American energy production.

Coal is among the dirtiest sources of energy, as a consequence coal plants and mining operations are being shut down in the US and around the world. Against this backdrop Trump is promising a revival of the American coal industry.

Climate Doomsday Clock Advances as Trump Wins the Republican Presidential Nomination

For many Democrats and supporters of climate action, Trump's victory was heralded with a grin and a nod. "He will be easy to beat," they say. But all thinking people everywhere are just a little bit uneasy today. The prospect, however distant, that The Donald could be the next president of the United States warrants concern, if not outright terror.

Despite his overt racism, misogyny and climate confusion, millions of Americans support Trump. Even the Koch brothers have said that Trump is unelectable. Nonetheless a trifecta of nefarious forces have coalesced to create the right conditions to make this possible.  The GOP, and of course Trump himself, along with a large number of Americans are all inadvertently complicit in this iniquitous drama.

Climate Focus at the April 14th Democratic Debate

Climate related issues were a major part of the Democratic Presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in Brooklyn, New York, on April 14, 2016. While the two candidates agree that climate change is an urgent issue, there are important distinctions between their respective policy positions.  Regardless of who wins the nomination, this debate establishes the Democratic party as the only choice for environmentally conscious voters.

Trump's Climate Ignorance Would be Laughable if the Implications weren't so Serious

Trump is likely to be the Republican nominee for President of the United States and at first glance this is hilarious, however if he were to elected it would be an unprecedented disaster for climate and the environment.

It is surreal that the man who is likely to secure the Republican nomination for the most powerful office in the world could be so incredibly ignorant about the scientific consensus on climate change.

Here is a review of some of his absurd climate statements and a summary of what he would do to the environment if he were to be elected President.

Environmental Differences Between Hillary and Bernie in the Flint Presidential Debate

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders faced off in a presidential primary debate at the University of Michigan in Flint, on March 6, 2016. During this substantive debate some salient differences emerged between the two remaining Democratic presidential contenders.

These differences included Sander's relatively stronger emphasis on combating climate change, and opposition to both fracking and campaign finance from the fossil fuel industry.

Hilary Maintains her Climate Silence as O'Malley Pushes his Green Agenda (Iowa Democratic Presidential Town Hall)

Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley are the three remaining candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president. On January 25th they fielded a barrage of questions from voters in a town hall meeting at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, The moderator was CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.

O'Malley emerged from the Iowa Town Hall as the greenest of the three candidates with Sanders trailing some distance behind. O'Malley bluntly stated that "this planet is worth saving," and Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to tackle climate change. Hilary remained silent on climate and clean energy and let her rivals steal the green thunder.

Climate and Energy Excerpts from the Fourth Democratic Primary Debate

Three candidates met for the fourth Democratic debate hosted by NBC News and YouTube and moderated by anchor Lester Holt. The debate took place in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday January 17th. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley were present for the debate. However, except for a passing reference to renewables ("I would work quickly to present to the congress my plans for creating more...clean and renewable energy...") Clinton did not address climate change or energy issues. Hilary's silence on these importance issues in the fourth debate mirrors her strategy in the preceding debate.

Here are the climate and energy remarks made by Sanders and O'Malley during the fourth debate:

Republican Climate Avoidance and the Sixth GOP Debate

Republican candidates for president seem to think that if you ignore the climate crisis American voters won't notice. During the sixth Republican debate there was no mention of climate change or global warming, the COP21 deal, renewable energy, cleantech, or the low carbon economy, and of course nary a word was uttered on emissions or greenhouse gases.

Climate change was a no show in the first Republican debate, the CNBC presidential debate and in the November debate they made their opposition to climate action clear. Republican presidential candidates have stated that they do not believe we should not do anything to combat climate change.

Climate and Clean Energy in the Third Democratic Presidential Debate

Watching the third Democratic debate, the conspicuous absence of any questions on climate change could have led viewers to think they had tuned into a Republican debate. Although not a single question was asked about climate change, which is startling given the fact that the debate comes only a week after the COP21 agreement was announced, Sanders and O'Malley did manage to briefly mention climate change and clean energy. Clinton conspicuously ignored the topic altogether. She may think this is a good way to win over Republicans who are disillusioned with front running GOP candidate Donald Trump. However it is also a great way to alienate her base.

Obama Signs Executive Order to Reduce GHGs in the Federal Government and Across their Supply Chain

President Obama is leading by example and significantly reducing the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions. In the first week of November the President signed an executive order that cuts emissions and weaves sustainability into the fabric of the federal government.

The move will cut government greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 percent and avert 26 million metric tons of GHG emissions by 2025. The White House claims that this will save tax payers up to $18 billion in energy costs and increase the share of federal energy derived from renewables by at least 25 percent.