Donald Trump's anti-climate action executive order is, as CPR President Rob Verchick puts it, a classic act of bullying. As I describe in an annotated version of the order, it is also irrational, failing to achieve the very aims it purports to support while inflicting damage to our climate, environment, natural resources, wildlife, and yes – even our coal miners.
In the annotation, I walk through each section of the order, providing an analysis and commentary on just what it does and doesn't do. At bottom, it steps us back to the dark ages of energy and environmental policy. As the agencies struggle to implement the new policies against a record of scientific consensus and ever-growing examples of the costs of climate change, the role of citizens and watchdog groups will become increasingly important. It's time to roll up our sleeves, dig into the administrative process, and do everything we can to keep Trump's policies from inflicting irrevocable damage.
The annotation is here: https://www.vox.com/a/executive-order-eo-energy-growth-independence-climate-trump
