Trump announced that he was taking the United States out of the Paris agreement, under the pretense that a program in which America got to set its own goals and define its own path to reach them was actually a draconian attempt at One World Government. But the Department of Energy still has a section dedicated to reaching out to other countries on the climate. Clearly that’s something that needs to change.
The Energy Department is closing an office that works with other countries to develop clean energy technology, another sign of the Trump administration’s retreat on climate-related activities after its withdrawal from the Paris agreement this month.
Wind energy is the fastest growing energy source. The fastest growing job in America is wind turbine service technician. Together, wind and solar reached 10 percent of America’s energy production last month for the first time. So clearly this is the ideal time to destroy the office that develops clean energy technology.
The small office also played a lead role preparing for the annual Clean Energy Ministerial, a forum in which the United States, China, India and other countries shared insights on how best to promote energy efficiency, electric vehicles and other solutions to climate change.
No more of that. But maybe the US can lead the new Back to Buggywhips Conference—a forum in which we plot powering the nation on whale oil and treadmills installed at private prisons.
Dropping the clean energy outreach at the Energy Department follows Trump’s closing the climate data website from the EPA.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced... the new direction the agency is taking, triggering the removal of several agency websites containing detailed climate data and scientific information.
And replacing the scientific review board with fossil fuel lobbyists.
A spokesman for the E.P.A. administrator, Scott Pruitt, said he would consider replacing the academic scientists with representatives from industries whose pollution the agency is supposed to regulate, as part of the wide net it plans to cast.
And killing the Energy Star program that promotes energy saving appliances.
Functioning like a government seal of approval, the Energy Star program costs taxpayers a pittance and is widely beloved by the 16,000 companies and organizations that participate. Now it is fast becoming a test case of how committed the Trump administration is to pursuing the agenda of once-fringe groups seeking to slash government programs wherever they can.
All of which is tragic on its face. But more than that, it’s breathtakingly stupid. There’s nothing to gain from this. Nothing.
But there is a lot to lose.