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Environmental Policies Upended, Climate Plans a Casualty As Trump Takes Power [1]

In the overview summary for our “2025 Journalists’ Guide to Environment + Energy” special report, we foresee the very real prospect that environmental protection and energy policies in place, in some cases, for decades could swiftly be swept aside by the Trump administration and a GOP-controlled Congress. Read our analysis [1], plus look back at more than three dozen stories gathered together in our ninth annual guide [2].

Open Door to Industry for Trump Environmental Agency Appointees [3]

It’s not just the heads of Trump administration environmental agencies who come from the industries they now are entrusted to regulate. The latest TipSheet explains that it’s also the political appointees below them — officials responsible for overseeing air, water, toxic chemicals, Superfund, forests and drilling — who are now likely examples of regulatory capture. A short list. Plus, more from our new Trump 2.0 EJWatch special section [4].

"Trump Administration Drops Work On Stronger Building Codes For Disasters" [9]

"For the past 25 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has helped develop building codes, the construction standards that help houses survive hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. Now, the Trump Administration has ordered that to stop, according to people involved with the work."

Source: NPR [10], 02/24/2025

"Cuts To U.S. Weather And Climate Research Could Put Public Safety At Risk" [15]

"One month into the new Trump administration, firings of scientists and freezes to U.S. research funding have caused an unprecedented elimination of scientific expertise from the federal government. Proposed and ongoing cuts to agencies like the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, could hobble efforts to keep Americans safe during and after disasters."

Source: Yale Climate Connections [16], 02/24/2025

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/special-reports/environmental-policies-upended-climate-plans-casualty-trump-takes-power [2] https://www.sej.org/publications/sej-news/2025-journalists-guide-environment-and-energy [3] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/open-door-industry-trump-environmental-agency-appointees [4] https://www.sej.org/publications/sej-news/trump-20-ejwatch [5] https://www.sej.org/headlines/h5n1-bird-flu-found-four-southern-california-rats [6] https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-02-21/h5n1-bird-flu-riverside-county-rats [7] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-s-lawsuit-barred-first-amendment-pollster-s-team-argues [8] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/22/ann-selzer-poll-trump/ [9] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-administration-drops-work-stronger-building-codes-disasters [10] https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5303478/fema-trump-building-codes-floods-hurricane-disasters [11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-wants-federal-government-disconnect-its-ev-charging-stations [12] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/21022025/trump-wants-to-disconnect-federal-ev-charging-stations/ [13] https://www.sej.org/headlines/fla-plan-build-road-radioactive-waste-prompts-suit-against-epa [14] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22022025/florida-radioactive-waste-road-project-epa/ [15] https://www.sej.org/headlines/cuts-us-weather-and-climate-research-could-put-public-safety-risk [16] https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/02/cuts-to-u-s-weather-and-climate-research-could-put-public-safety-at-risk/ [17] https://www.sej.org/headlines/staff-some-agencies-instructed-not-speak-congress-says-democrat [18] https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5157303-congress-dems-concerns-ban-employees/ [19] https://www.sej.org/headlines/trump-s-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-farmers [20] https://civileats.com/2025/02/11/trumps-funding-freeze-creates-chaos-and-financial-distress-for-farmers/ [21] https://www.sej.org/search_results [22] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=459 [23] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=456 [24] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=457 [25] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=458 [26] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=461 [27] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=462 [28] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=463 [29] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=464 [30] https://www.sej.org/search_results?page=5113