Government

Energy-Dominance Exponent Coasts Into Interior

The newly installed Interior Department head, who will manage most federally owned U.S. lands and billions of acres of the continental shelf, hails from a top fossil fuel-producing state and has close oil industry ties, reports the new EJ TransitionWatch. What former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum had to say at his Senate confirmation about U.S. “energy dominance.” Plus, one surprising source of support.

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"How US States Are Leading The Climate Fight – Despite Trump’s Rollbacks"

"As the Trump administration rolls back decades-old environmental protections and pulls Biden-era incentives for renewable energy, state-level advocates and officials are preparing to fill the void in climate action."

Source: Guardian, 01/31/2025

Amid Freeze Fracas, Uncertainty Lives On For Environmental Programs

"A chaotic back-and-forth over President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal grants and loans has farmers, activists, organizations and businesses wondering whether they will receive the funding they rely on. It’s funding that among many other things is being used to address environmental problems or tackle climate change."

Source: AP, 01/30/2025

"Senate Confirms Zeldin To Lead Environmental Protection Agency"

"The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a key role to help President Donald Trump fulfill his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles."

Source: AP, 01/30/2025

"Lutnick Says He Won’t Dismantle NOAA As Called For In Project 2025"

"President Trump’s pick to lead the Commerce Department assured senators on Wednesday he won’t try to dismantle the nation’s climate, oceans and weather science agency during a largely genial confirmation hearing."

Source: The Hill, 01/30/2025

Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergencies

"A sudden pause in federal assistance is sowing disarray and outrage across the country, throwing into doubt a wide range of programs that help protect Americans from disasters, provide access to clean drinking water and affordable energy and help protect ecosystems, among many other issues."

Source: Inside Climate News, 01/29/2025

EPA Nominee Heads for Approval, Despite Inexperience

Former Congressman Lee Zeldin, the Trump administration nominee to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has scant expertise in the field and little appeal to environmental groups. But at a Senate hearing earlier this month, the Trump loyalist aimed to score points by confirming the existence of climate change and deflating rumors of an agency move out of the Capital. The latest EJ TransitionWatch takes a look at Zeldin's prospects.

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Telling the Stories of the Silent Sentinels

To many, plants are a merely green backdrop, indistinguishable and inconsequential. But, freelancer Karen Mockler says that such “plant blindness” belies an urgent need for our notice. More than a third of the world’s trees and thousands of other plant species face extinction. Their plight — and their many blessings — offer perceptive journalists a wealth of reporting and storytelling opportunities. Mockler on why to write about plants.

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"Trump Resurrects ‘God Squad’ To Bend The ESA"

"The committee that decides the fate of endangered species is rarely summoned. But the president’s “energy emergency” could change that."

"The Trump administration is putting its faith in an empowered “God Squad” that might help energy projects maneuver around Endangered Species Act obstacles.

In verse meant to be far-reaching, President Donald Trump’s new executive order designating an “energy emergency” strengthens what the landmark environmental law formally calls the “Endangered Species Act Committee.”

Source: E&E News, 01/24/2025

"Elon Musk’s DOGE Sued Minutes After Trump Inauguration"

"A lawsuit claiming billionaire Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” violates federal transparency rules was filed within minutes of President Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday, kicking off a legal battle over a key aspect of the incoming administration’s agenda."

Source: Washington Post, 01/24/2025

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