Despite overwhelming and growing scientific evidence affirming the dangers of greenhouse gases, the nation’s premier scientific body reported yesterday that the Trump administration plans to revoke a 16-year-old finding. This critical finding declared carbon dioxide emissions a threat to public health. If rescinded, the Environmental Protection Agency would lose its authority to regulate emissions from vehicles and power facilities.
What began as merely downplaying the reality of global warming has now evolved into a full-blown denial of comprehensive scientific evidence, according to climate policy expert Lisa Friedman. I recently discussed these evolving shifts with Lisa for today’s newsletter.
What were the most significant climate decisions made during Trump’s second term?
Ending climate protections. The most impactful action is the proposed repeal of the “endangerment finding,” a critical regulation we’ve already touched upon.
Dismantling climate science. This involved slashing funds and removing the website for the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a vital 35-year initiative dedicated to monitoring climate change and its effects. Hundreds of scientists involved in the next National Climate Assessment—a congressionally mandated report crucial for preparing for severe weather—were dismissed. In their place, a new official analysis crafted by climate skeptics was introduced.
War on wind and solar. The administration has actively halted renewable energy projects and enacted domestic policy that gradually eliminates tax credits for new wind and solar installations.
While the alignment with fossil fuel industries within the Republican coalition is clear, the strong opposition to solar and wind projects remains perplexing. For instance, just last month, Trump halted construction on a nearly finished $6 billion wind farm. What’s the core motivation behind his efforts to suppress green technologies?
Many experts I’ve consulted attribute this opposition to ideology, and specifically concerning wind, a personal vendetta by the president. Trump’s disdain for wind energy reportedly stems from his failed attempt to block an offshore wind farm near his golf course in Scotland. Generally, renewable energy has become increasingly politicized, leading to a notable decrease in Republican support for wind, solar, and electric vehicle initiatives.
Can a future Democratic president simply reverse these changes?
While a new president could indeed establish fresh analyses, reintroduce climate protections, and offer new incentives for renewable energy, the process would be arduous and time-consuming. Certain actions would require congressional approval. Moreover, climate activists harbor a significant fear: that the Supreme Court, in reviewing lawsuits related to the climate endangerment finding, might overturn the 2007 precedent allowing the government to regulate greenhouse gases. Should this occur, a future president would face immense difficulty in reinstating these crucial regulations.
The administration dismissed numerous climate change researchers, subsequently hiring five individuals to produce a report claiming that concerns about climate change are exaggerated. What arguments do they present?
While acknowledging that human activities contribute to planetary warming, these individuals contend that a portion of the warming linked to fossil fuels is actually a result of natural cycles or solar variability. They further assert that sea levels are not accelerating their rise, that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide can enhance crop yields, and that the dangers posed by extreme weather events are exaggerated. Each of these assertions directly contradicts well-established scientific research.
Last week, Trump’s energy secretary informed European leaders that climate “ideology” impedes prosperity, urging them to abandon environmental regulations and increase natural gas purchases. How are international policymakers reacting to these developments?
International policymakers are accustomed to Washington’s shifts between Democratic and Republican administrations. To date, no other nation has exited the Paris Agreement or abandoned its climate and clean energy objectives. However, they are complying with the request to buy more natural gas, a move that will likely hinder their ability to meet environmental targets. While acknowledging the costs of combating climate change, they also recognize the significant price of inaction, citing extreme weather, lethal heat waves, species extinction, declining crop yields, and other consequences linked to escalating global temperatures.
As reported by our colleague Maxine Joselow this morning, the administration has ceased collecting specific climate data. What crucial information is being omitted, and what are the implications of this knowledge gap?
Among the most significant changes: the Trump administration decommissioned an extreme-weather database that had meticulously tracked the financial impact of natural disasters since 1980. Furthermore, it has stated that power plants, oil refineries, and other major industrial sites are no longer required to report their greenhouse gas emissions. Concurrently, Trump’s proposed budget seeks to defund Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, an institution that has continuously monitored climate data for nearly seven decades. Scientists warn that erasing such vital scientific data will severely impede our ability to comprehend the ongoing changes to our planet.
More climate coverage
- It isn’t just the United States. The whole world has soured on climate politics, David Wallace-Wells writes.
- At The Times’s Climate Forward conference next week, we’ll hear from world leaders, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and activists like the actor Rainn Wilson. Sign up for the livestream here.
OFF THE AIR
ABC announced last night that it was suspending “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely over comments Kimmel made about Tyler Robinson, the man charged with shooting Charlie Kirk.
Americans were searching for news about Kimmel online. Here’s what happened:
Kimmel said during Monday’s show, “We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Prosecutors said on Tuesday that Robinson had, in private messages, objected to Kirk’s “hatred.” And they said Robinson’s mother believed her son had recently become “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.”
Brendan Carr, head of the F.C.C., said on a podcast Wednesday that Kimmel’s remarks were part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people” and threatened to take action against ABC, adding, “Frankly, when you see stuff like this — I mean, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Disney, which owns ABC, pulled Kimmel’s show hours after Carr’s comments.
THE LATEST NEWS
Federal Reserve
- The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as expected. Officials suggested they might cut rates twice more this year.
- The Fed’s rate can affect car loans, credit cards, mortgages and more. Tara Siegel Bernard explains what the decision means for your finances.
Vaccines
- Dr. Susan Monarez was recently ousted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as C.D.C. chief. Yesterday, she criticized his vaccine stance to senators and said she was fired for “holding the line on scientific integrity.”
- The C.D.C.’s vaccine advisory committee will meet today to review immunizations for Covid, hepatitis B and M.M.R.V. Kennedy recently replaced all of its members.
- Bill Cassidy, a Republican doctor who leads the Senate’s health committee, said Americans should not have confidence in the committee’s decisions if it changes the childhood vaccine schedule.
Trump’s British Visit
- A state banquet — where 160 people used 1,452 pieces of cutlery to masticate their way through a night with the British royal family — swaddled the president in grandeur. Trump was charmed: “They say Windsor Castle is the ultimate, right?”
- The Trumps and the royals rubbed elbows with tech executives like Tim Cook and Sam Altman, bankers, media moguls and at least one spy: Richard Moore, chief of MI6. Here’s a guest list.
- On Melania Trump yesterday: another eye-obscuring hat. And on the menu last night: a watercress panna cotta, chicken in zucchini and symbolic vintages: a 1945 port, to honor his first term, and a cognac Grande Champagne from 1912, the year his mother was born.
- All that pomp had a purpose: The royals were buttering Trump up before his meeting today with Keir Starmer, who is a staunch defender of Ukraine. The two leaders are also expected to announce large business deals involving American and British companies.
- Would you know how to behave around the king? Take our royal etiquette quiz.
Politics
- An immigration judge ordered Mahmoud Khalil, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, to be deported to either Syria or Algeria, Politico reports.
- A judge ruled that Rudy Giuliani must pay $1.3 million to lawyers who represented him in criminal investigations that stemmed from his work for Trump.
Russia
- Aleksei Navalny vomited and convulsed shortly before he died in prison last year, his wife said. She says it proved the Russian government had poisoned him.
- The U.S. pledged to invest millions in Ukrainian mineral reserves. The move could ease fears that Trump is pulling back from Ukraine’s war effort.
Other Big Stories
- A man killed three police officers and injured two others as they tried to serve a warrant in southeast Pennsylvania.
- Jerry Greenfield, the Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s, resigned from the ice cream maker. He said its parent company, Unilever, had silenced its activism.
- Biotech companies want to implant pig organs into human patients. Jews and Muslims may want to know whether it violates religious rules.
OPINIONS
Democrats are torn between focusing on protecting democracy and highlighting Trump’s poor economic leadership. E.J. Dionne Jr. asks: Why not both?
Here’s a column by Jamelle Bouie on the deportation of South Korean workers.
MORNING READS
Spheroid scandal: Some stone skimmers in Scotland doctored their stones to compete in the World Championships, organizers say.
Tinsel teeth: Metal braces were once the height of geekdom. Now, kids think they’re cool.
Origins: How did human hands evolve? The answer may come from your backside.
Made in Vietnam: Where do your sneakers come from? Odds are it’s not China anymore.
Lives Lived: John Luckadoo, who flew 25 missions over German-held territory during World War II, died at 103. He was the last surviving pilot from the storied Bloody 100th unit.
SPORTS
N.F.L.: The Washington Commanders are finally returning to the District of Columbia. The D.C. Council approved a $3.8 billion development project that includes a new 65,000-seat stadium.
N.C.A.A.: A committee voted to eliminate college football’s spring transfer portal window. Next up? Deciding the date and length of the lone winter portal window.
BOWIE’S SOUND AND VISION
It’s a rock music chamber of secrets. David Bowie left behind an immense archive of androgynous costumes, personal photos, collages of his songwriting process and sketches from an unfinished musical.
Now, the 90,000-item collection is available in London to fans and scholars. Taken together, the catalog gets to the heart of who Bowie was, our colleague Alex Marshall writes: “an artist whose creativity came as much from hard work, relentless experimentation and collaboration as raw talent.”
More on culture
- Gwyneth Paltrow is getting back into fashion. At her first show — in a showroom styled like an apartment — there were family photos, dry cleaning bags and branded zucchini.
- Israel’s culture minister said he planned to pull funding for the country’s top film-award ceremony after a drama about a Palestinian boy won best feature. The film, “The Sea,” will automatically become Israel’s submission for the Oscar for best international feature.
THE MORNING RECOMMENDS …
Bake an airy Polish cherry cake.
Read “All Consuming,” a romp through the chaos of the modern food world.
Store your bike on a rack if space is tight.
GAMES
Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were linocut and locution.
And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands.
Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow.
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Amelia Nierenberg contributed to this newsletter.