What a President Trump May Mean for the Climate Change Fight and Decreasing Our Use of Fossil Fuels

November 9, 2016 – As I watched the returns last evening it was clear to me shortly after 11 p.m. that Trump was going to be declared President Elect. I spent much of the night not sleeping and mulling over what the implications were of this extraordinary development. Morning confirmed what I thought and the shock is still palpable.

Donald Trump has stated in the past that climate change is a hoax perpetrated on America by the Chinese. It is one of many bizarre conspiracy theories that the man has expressed on the subject of global warming. Every time a snowfall or cold spell happened in whatever neck of the woods he was in he would tweet his observations that global warming couldn’t be true because it was freezing or snowing outside.

One can conclude that the science of global warming is unfamiliar to the future President Trump and one can only hope that scientists within the NOAA and NASA ask for time to provide him with a complete briefing on the subject.

President Elect Trump also believes that Americans should be burning coal to generate electricity and wants to put all the coal miners back to work. It is an interesting and misdirected policy to believe that coal mining will “make America great again.” Coal as an energy source is the most polluting of all the fossil fuels. Clean coal is an advertising gimmick. So maybe some of the engineers within fossil fuel companies that already recognize this can brief the President Elect on technologies that can bridge from coal-fired to renewable energy.  After all the fossil fuel companies are getting on board finally with ratification by the majority of countries of the Paris agreement on climate change. The companies want to be at the forefront of the transition so that they can ensure their continuing profits.

And as for Paris and the Climate Change agreement the President Elect has indicated in past speeches that he won’t fund any initiatives related to it and will pull out at the earliest opportunity. Without the United States, the second largest carbon and greenhouse gas emitter, as party to the agreement it will be extremely difficult to implement new initiatives at the COP22 meetings in Marrakesh this week.

In terms of oil pipelines, President Elect Trump wants to reverse the decision made by President Obama about Keystone XL, the pipeline from Canada that would have brought diluted oil sands product to Texas refineries for processing and export. The approval of the line may be fought by aboriginal and local farm organizations situated along the route holding up the build for years to come. President Trump will probably authorize other pipelines as well in his belief that the United States with Canada on side can become North American energy independent.

Will President Trump roll back climate action plan directives initiated by President Obama under executive authority that currently provide a regulatory framework for industry and states to meet targeted carbon and greenhouse gas emission reductions of 26-28% from 2005 levels by 2025.

One wonders if the recent bilateral agreement with Canada on phasing out hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) will be also subject to cancellation. HCFCs used in refrigerants are dangerous to the ozone layer. A prior Republican President, Ronald Reagan was responsible for the initial attack on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) the prior common chemical used in refrigeration and air conditioning units. HCFCs were supposed to be a temporary stopgap to be phased out.

The principal climate change denier is now at the helm of the American nation. The “commons” of which we all share, the air, water and land, is now in his hands. It is not something we inherit from our ancestors but something we borrow from those who follow us, our legacy. If President Trump cares for his grandchildren and their future he will protect the “commons” and gain an understanding of his global responsibility to ensure its preservation.