Trump vs. Climate Change Saga Continues as Wildfires Ravage California
Wildfires in California has renewed President Trump’s criticisms of climate change proponents (Image)
California is on fire.
More than 94,000 acres have been burned by 17 active fires. Extraordinarily heavy winds have forced evacuations and caused mass power outages across Southern California.
These fires are a natural part of the Californian ecosystem, since they limit the density of vegetation, encourage plant growth, and consume dead vegetation. They are moderated by colder weather in the winter until warmer temperatures in the spring and summer increase plant flammability. But previously predictable seasonal shifts in the state’s climate are becoming uncertain, as changing precipitation patterns and warmer temperatures caused by climate change could result in “longer and more intense fires later in the year.” The increasing frequency of warm, dry, and windy weather have made the recent wildfires hotter and deadlier than ever before. The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board states that “10 of the 20 most destructive wildfires, in terms of structures lost, occurred over the last 10 years.” And the wildfire risk is expected to rise.
As California burns, the Trump administration is rolling back Obama-era environmental protections and revoking California’s authority over its own regulations. Under the 1970 Clean Air Act, California has the power to determine its own standards with an EPA sign-off, or “waiver.” California, a vanguard for environmental policy, has particularly targeted transportation pollution and tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions. The state’s standards have since been adopted by thirteen others.
Under the Trump Administration, however, these EPA waivers are more difficult to obtain. The previous tailpipe laws required fuel economy to reach 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, while the Trump rollbacks would lower the requirement to only 37 miles per gallon. Furthermore, the administration revoked the state’s authority to set stricter climate change rules in late September.
The administration argues that these regulatory rollbacks provide relief for industrial automakers, such as General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota. These three corporations have thrown their support behind the newer regulations, contending that the state must abide by federal standards. Trump further defended his actions on Twitter, asserting that it will make cars “safer” and “less expensive.” The CEO of the Association of Global Automakers, the industry group that the above corporations are a part of, stated that the auto industry “has historically taken the position that fuel economy is the sole purview of the federal government.”
The ever-present conflict between the federal government and states’ rights is reflected in the current dynamic. This friction will most likely be resolved in the Supreme Court, as California and the White House readies itself for the ensuing legal battle. The resulting decision could determine state control of environmental regulations and nationwide pollution levels.
This past weekend, President Trump threatened to pull federal aid for the wildfires in a tweet disparaging California Governor Gavin Newsom’s “forest management.” President Trump has repeatedly blamed the wildfires on forest mismanagement, rather than climate change, despite the fact that none of the recent fires burned down any forests. Newsom tweeted in response, saying “You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation.”
The administration’s removal of standards will only exacerbate environmental issues. California’s former governor, Jerry Brown, spoke before the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment, blaming the wildfires on the Trump administration’s neglect of regulations, remarking “the blood is on your soul.” Experts echoed Brown’s sentiments. Francesca Dominici, the Co-Director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative told the Washington Post that “without regulation, wildfire smoke are expected to increase in intensity and iteration.”
The neglect of environmental standards, coupled with Trump’s recent withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, further demonstrates the current administration’s disregard for climate change and its harmful impacts.