As the government shutdown deepens, its ramifications for environmental protection are becoming increasingly clear. The latest developments highlight a troubling trend, with key agencies facing unprecedented challenges:
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The Energy Department recently announced the cancellation of over $7.5 billion in clean energy project awards. The majority of these projects were located in states predominantly led by Democrats, raising concerns that the shutdown is being used as a tool for political retribution.
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Similarly, the White House rescinded approximately $26 billion in previously approved funding for climate and transportation projects, primarily impacting states with Democratic governors.
EPA Employees Grapple with Uncertainty During Shutdown
On the initial day of the government shutdown, widespread confusion plagued the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite earlier plans for a skeletal workforce, many employees were unexpectedly instructed to continue working, under the assertion that funds were available.
Now, on Day 2, the situation remains murky. The source and longevity of the funding enabling EPA operations are unconfirmed by the administration. While some federal agencies may draw from carry-over funds, the current administration has not disclosed the EPA’s financial basis for continued work.
One stark reality is undeniable: the longer this shutdown persists, the more essential activities will inevitably cease.
Once the EPA’s official shutdown plan is implemented, critical functions will halt. This includes civil enforcement inspections, which are crucial on-site visits to chemical and other facilities to ensure environmental regulation compliance. The issuance of new contracts and permits will also be suspended.
Clean-up efforts at Superfund hazardous waste sites will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, generally proceeding only where an immediate threat to human life exists.
A significant casualty could be EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s agenda to roll back numerous air, water, and climate regulations. These rollbacks typically require extensive economic and health impact analyses before finalization. Furloughing workers would bring these processes to a standstill.
In the interim, EPA staff members describe feeling caught in an agonizing state of limbo.
The administration’s plan, issued this week, stipulated that approximately 90 percent of EPA staff would be furloughed during a shutdown. However, late Tuesday, just hours before funding lapsed, many agency employees received emails instructing them to report to work, citing the availability of funds. The EPA has not specified how many of its 15,166 employees received this exemption, though union officials believe it applies to nearly the entire staff. The agency has also not publicly committed to how long it can sustain these operations.
Adding to the anxiety, the administration has directed agencies to prepare for further layoffs beyond furloughs.
EPA employees reported feeling as if they were ‘on a guillotine’ before the shutdown. The agency was already in the process of reducing its workforce by 3,700, aiming for a total of 12,448, which represents a nearly 23 percent decrease in staffing since January.
Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents many EPA employees, accused the administration of ‘playing games with federal workers.’
The EPA released a statement attributing the shutdown to Democrats. President Trump further fueled speculation on Truth Social, suggesting more federal agency cuts might be on the horizon.
Who Will Protect Our National Parks?
During the last government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, national parks remained open, but most staff were furloughed. This resulted in scenes of overflowing toilets, piles of trash, and damaged trees. These incidents offer a stark warning of what could happen again.
Current and former park employees fear the current shutdown could inflict even more severe damage, depending on its duration. They point out that the National Park Service has already lost 24 percent of its permanent workforce since the current administration took office, with over 9,000 of its remaining 14,500 employees now furloughed.
Jim Schaberl, who recently retired as the division chief for natural and cultural resources at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, expressed particular concern that accumulating garbage could attract black bears. Additionally, injured visitors might experience longer waits for medical attention or evacuations.
“October is usually the busiest month for the park, and we would typically try to staff up during that time,” he noted. “This is the reverse, where there are fewer staff to start with.”
More on the shutdown:
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The shutdown coincides with critical deadlines for disaster preparedness and federal flood insurance, potentially leaving thousands of Americans vulnerable to flood losses and stalling countless real estate transactions.
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Even iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty’s torch could fall dark.
Jane Goodall in 2024. In memoriam
The Quiet Power of Jane Goodall
My first encounter with Jane Goodall in 2019 found her nursing a glass of Irish whiskey, neat. We met after a demanding day of public engagements, and she explained it wasn’t for nerves, but to soothe her voice.
This was characteristic of Goodall in her later years. She devoted herself to speaking, tirelessly addressing anyone who would listen—from presidents to preschoolers, in lecture halls and keynotes. Her unwavering commitment saw her travel ceaselessly, urging humanity to safeguard the natural world.
Her message had evolved far beyond her celebrated chimpanzee research. Instead, she championed interdependence, emphasizing our planet’s fragility and our delicate place within the intricate web of life.
Her request for whiskey didn’t surprise me. She spoke softly, often barely above a whisper, and was small in stature. Yet, her presence commanded the room.
It wasn’t just her fame that captivated people; Goodall possessed a spiritual aura, a profound wisdom that seemed to emanate from her very being.
She faced the precarious state of our environment—biodiversity loss and climate change—with clear eyes. Still, she remained compassionate, joyful, and ever hopeful. As my colleague Catrin Einhorn observed, she exuded a ‘quiet energy,’ gentle and sharp all at once.
Over the years, I maintained contact with Goodall, catching up at various events like gala dinners and the World Economic Forum in Davos. Our conversations, though infrequent, always touched on climate change, animals, children, and even politics. Just as often, however, we would sit in comfortable silence.
During her pioneering work as a primatologist in Tanzania, Goodall spent extended periods alone in the wilderness, observing chimpanzees like Flo, Fifi, and David Greybeard. Through earning their trust, she discovered striking similarities between chimps and humans. This experience taught her to find profound peace away from the modern world’s clamor, completely at ease in absolute quiet.
The last time I saw Goodall, she had, once again, completed a long day of public appearances. Tired of speaking, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, we sat together for about 30 minutes, sometimes meeting each other’s gaze, sometimes simply looking out at the mountains. She then embraced me, and we said our goodbyes.
Pope Leo at the international conference “Raising Hope for Climate Justice” in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, on Wednesday. In his own words
“Citizens need to take an active role in political decision making at national, regional and local levels. Only then will it be possible to mitigate the damage done to the environment.”
These are the compelling words of Pope Leo, who on Wednesday urged Catholics and all global citizens to uphold the environmental advocacy of his predecessor, Francis, stressing that it should not be viewed as a ‘divisive’ issue.
Mokoto Rich reports that Pope Leo spoke for just over 10 minutes at an international conference, sharing the stage with actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Brazil’s climate minister. The event took place on the grounds of the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. Pope Leo emphasized the importance of individual and community action in alleviating mounting climate pressures.
“Everyone in society, through nongovernmental organizations and advocacy groups, must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls,” he declared.
Read more.
More climate news from around the web:
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Swiss glaciers shrank by 3 percent this year, marking the fourth-largest retreat on record, as reported by The Associated Press.
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An ambitious fund aimed at saving rainforests, which Brazil intends to launch at November’s COP30 climate summit, is behind schedule. Officials are currently deliberating on the complex financial structure. (For more context, read our report from last year on Brazil’s fund.)
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