"“We just lost a decade’s worth of work,” said one green group leader." 

"It’s a rough time to be an environmentalist.

Green groups spent the early days of this administration stunned as the Trump 2.0 team dismantled federal agencies, slashed spending and torpedoed regulations in a flurry that caught many of the administration’s critics by surprise.

Now, as environmental nonprofits gear up for several more years of playing defense against an emboldened administration, the movement is scrambling to regain traction.

Green groups are watching years of work on environmental regulations vaporize. The administration is purging the federal workforce — including staffers who work inside energy and environmental agencies. And the court system that President Donald Trump’s critics are using to challenge the administration is overshadowed by a conservative Supreme Court that has already handed some big wins to the president.

“The reason for bad vibes is obvious: This is the most anti-environmental administration that our country and perhaps the world has ever seen,” said Bill McKibben, a longtime environmentalist and author. “It is difficult to be hopeful in the face of all that.”"

Robin Bravender reports for E&E News July 30, 2025. [2]