This episode of Going Green explores the evolution of wildfire management in the U.S., the impact of climate change on wildfires, and the political responses to environmental challenges over the years.

It also highlights the significant shifts in environmental policy from the Obama to Trump administrations, culminating in the current successes and challenges faced by the Biden administration in addressing climate change.

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Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content I found during my research.

Check out the Going Green Soundtrack on Spotify

Episode Credits:

Production by Gābl Media

Written by Dimitrius Lynch

Executive Produced by Dimitrius Lynch

Audio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez

Archival Audio courtesy of: Lee, AP-Schwarzenegger, AP-Obama Crowd, CSPAN-Obama, CBS-Reagan, ABC-Trump, Bloomberg-McConnell, KET-McConnell, Sky News-Biden, Channel 4 News-Exxon

In the fall of 2002, I found myself speeding down a two -lane desert highway.

2

Smoke blocked out the California sun as flames lined both sides of the road, inching

closer and closer in my path.

3

I was on my way back from a camping trip when the Williams fire threatened to cut off my

path home.

4

I couldn't recall experiencing a fire of this magnitude.

5

For days, the sky in the area was reddish brown

6

and everything was covered in ash.

7

From September 22nd to October 7th, 2002, that fire burned 38 ,094 acres and destroyed 77

structures.

8

It was the third largest of the 2002 California wildfire season, in which 8 ,171 wildfires

burned a total of

9

538 ,216 acres.

10

The United States had long feared such destruction from fire.

11

During World War II, fire was considered a potential weapon of war.

12

In 1942, a Japanese submarine shelled an oil field near Los Padres National Forests,

sparking concerns about fire on the home front.

13

In response, the War Advertising Council and the U .S.

14

Forest Service launched a public awareness campaign to warn about the threat of Resembling

wartime messages, early ads read, quote, Another enemy to conquer.

15

forest fires, and one poster said, quote, our carelessness, their secret weapon, which was

accompanied with an image of Hitler peering down on a blaze.

16

They even used a familiar face for messaging, Disney's Bambi, and the public started

listening.

17

This success inspired the creation of a cartoon bear sporting a ranger's hat and

dungarees, Smokey the Bear.

18

In August 1944, he first appeared pouring a bucket of water on a campfire and saying, Care

will prevent nine out of ten fires.

19

In 1947, he received his better known tagline.

20

only you can prevent forest fires.

21

Smokey's campaign was effective.

22

Between the 1930s and 1950s,

23

the average number of wildfires in the U .S.

24

decreased significantly.

25

By 2011, the annual acreage burned had dropped from 22 million in 1944 to just 6 .6

million.

26

However, some scientists are now finding that the strict suppression of all fires, an idea

Smoky's campaign reinforced, may have made some forests more vulnerable to large

27

wildfires.

28

Historically,

29

4 .4 to 11 .9 million acres of California's forests burned annually, much more than today.

30

Before European settlement, Native Americans regularly used controlled burns to manage the

landscape and prevent devastating wildfires.

31

Government policy has evolved to reflect this knowledge, with controlled burns now being

used to manage forest fuel and reduce the risk of larger uncontrolled fires.

32

This was exemplified in 2001 as Smokey's message was subtly updated to only you can

prevent wildfires, acknowledging that not all fires are harmful.

33

Yet, wildfires have grown more frequent and intense in recent years.

34

Since the 2010s, climate change has exacerbated conditions, leading to longer fire

seasons, more severe fires, and higher costs.

35

California in particular has been hit hard.

36

In 2020, over 8 ,100 fires burned nearly 4 .5 million acres, a dramatic increase from

37

The economic impact has been staggering, with insurers like State Farm and Allstate

halting new home insurance policies in high -risk areas, leaving residents vulnerable.

38

The environmental toll is also severe.

39

A study revealed that 58 % of the land burned in recent years occurred between 2020 and

40

In addition, the increase in wildfires is causing a harmful cycle.

41

The carbon dioxide from the fires adds to global warming, which leads to hotter, drier

conditions, making the land more prone to future fires.

42

Without intervention,

43

the risk to lives, ecosystems, and property will only continue to grow, fueled by a

changing climate and unsustainable land management practices.

44

Now back in 2008, the California wildfire season was one of the worst of the 21st century

up to that point, burning nearly 1 .6 million acres.

45

For the first time since 1977, the U .S.

46

military assisted in the fight

47

as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger deployed 400 National Guard troops, he noted that the

sheer number of fires had overwhelmed the state's firefighting resources.

48

Well, I think that we have seen last year that the normal fire seasons, the way we have

known it in the past, that is pretty much gone.

49

Luckily, we have everyone working together, but I'm very concerned.

50

Because when you hear those reports, like I've heard last night, I was very concerned

because you see there's 700 fires and they're very close to one another.

51

And so the danger was that for them to join.

52

wildfires become more destructive, the need for climate action becomes increasingly

urgent.

53

With backwards momentum on environmental policies during the Bush administration, a

54

as both US presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama took positive positions

on the environment and climate change.

55

Both recognized climate change as a critical issue with each advocating for action.

56

Obama called it, quote, one of the biggest challenges of our time, end quote.

57

And McCain proposed a plan to build nuclear power stations as part of his energy strategy.

58

While both supported cap and trade to reduce emissions, Obama targeted an 80 % reduction

59

However, environmental issues took a backseat to economic concerns in the election, with

climate change often overshadowed by a financial crisis that upended the

60

What the heck is going on down here?

61

I don't know.

62

All of a sudden here we started hearing screaming.

63

...billion dollar bailout plan sending shockwaves through Wall Street.

64

The bailout plan was voted down.

65

Lehman Brothers is going bankrupt and financial markets from Asia to Europe are doing

their utmost to prevent Monday from turning from dark to black.

66

...but now it's official we are in a recession.

67

I'm Demetrius Lynch.

68

And this is going green.

69

One of my proudest moments is when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, Mr.

70

President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy.

71

Why would you put in something on emissions reductions on climate change to oil refineries

in a highway building?

72

If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it's all about

vegetation management, we're not going to succeed together protecting Californians.

73

It'll start getting cooler.

74

You just watch.

75

I wish science agreed with you.

76

Well, I don't think science knows, actually.

77

In episode eight, we highlighted the geopolitical and corporate influences on

78

I examined a pivotal moment for President Clinton's administration as it faced mounting

pressure in the lead up to the UNFCCC's COP6 conference, a push for emission targets and

79

stronger energy standards, the Bush administration's deep ties to the oil industry.

80

a disaster that led to severe environmental and economic damage and highlighted the

failure of egregious deregulation and significant environmental rollbacks.

81

If you haven't listened to that episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to all the

episodes of this series in order.

82

Today, we'll examine the Obama administration's environmental policies, the impact of the

Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, and

83

the Trump administration's impact on U .S.

84

climate policy and global efforts.

85

And I'll get into all of that after the break.

86

Episode 9.

87

This is fine.

88

and watching and it was really great.

89

I'm so glad to win Mr.

90

black man, accepting a Democratic presidential.

91

I am so glad, I'm so glad I can tell my son, yes you can become president, yes you can

change the world.

92

Obama, I love you.

93

The time for change is now, November 4th.

94

I'll be the first one in the voting booth to make sure that change happens.

95

Inspirational.

96

He's got a lot of good ideas.

97

I just would like to have heard how he was going to accomplish what he wants to

accomplish.

98

I didn't hear him say how he planned to do everything he wants to do.

99

I was really impressed with the fact that he feels education is so important.

100

I'm a registered Republican and this is the first election where I'm listening to the

Democrat.

101

November 4th, 2008.

102

The energy across the United States and even the world was palpable.

103

Citizens in the U .S.

104

lined up at polling stations across the country in record numbers to cast what could be a

historic ballot to decide between presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.

105

Candidate Obama ran on a message of hope and change that swept the nation.

106

The change was a deep desire to move on from the partisan politics born in the 1990s.

107

The hope was personified in Obama himself, the first African -American to be elected

president of the United States, a country with a rich history of disenfranchisement, civil

108

rights abuses, unconscionable treatment, and enslavement of people who looked like him for

over the last 400 years.

109

Hello Chicago!

110

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are

possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still

111

questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

112

Barack Obama was elected by a wide margin that evening and began his tenure as the 44th

113

During his first term, the fallout from the astonishing economic collapse in 2008 and

incredibly persistent congressional opposition would prove a formidable challenge,

114

particularly derailing many climate goals and promises.

115

President Obama's climate legacy is characterized by significant achievements as well as

some missed opportunities.

116

In his first term, Obama's climate policy mirrored that of George W.

117

Bush, marked by efforts to avoid greenhouse gas regulation as the administration

prioritized the economic recovery, healthcare, and contended with the political

118

consequences of those policies.

119

With the economy in disarray,

120

Obama signed economic stimulus legislation in February 2009.

121

In part, it did include nearly $37 billion for clean energy research and development at

the Department of Energy.

122

Four months later, with failing car companies seeking a federal bailout, the Obama

administration proposed higher fuel efficiency requirements and the first greenhouse gas

123

standards for passenger vehicles.

124

The regulations

125

which took effect in 2012, were expected to nearly double the average fuel efficiencies of

126

He followed up that action by granting a Clean Air Act waiver to California in 2013,

allowing the state to set emission standards for vehicles that exceeded federal

127

regulations.

128

This move effectively made California's stringent standards the national benchmark.

129

as automakers had already decided to comply with California's rules across their entire

fleet.

130

While this was a victory for climate action, the credit goes more to the existing momentum

and efforts in California.

131

Initially, the Obama administration focused on green jobs over direct major climate change

action.

132

In April 2009, the White House Climate and Energy Czar advised environmentalists

133

to emphasize energy independence and green jobs rather than global warming based on

polling data that suggested Americans were more receptive to economic benefits than

134

warnings about climate change.

135

Polling had shown that while most Americans generally believed in climate change, they

were not inclined to support legislation based solely on scientific warnings.

136

This strategy faced criticism.

137

as it downplayed the existential threat of climate change.

138

Critics argued that if climate change was indeed a dire threat, it should be addressed

directly and urgently.

139

While the administration did attempt some bold moves, it was unable to secure a

comprehensive climate bill.

140

Similarly to Clinton and George H .W.

141

Bush's administrations, the bill

142

rehashed the same cap and trade system for limiting emissions.

143

Progressives were underwhelmed, but the bill managed to pass the House in 2009, only to

144

From the outside, it was perplexing.

145

On paper, Obama began his term with Democratic control of the Congress.

146

It should have produced a dramatic shift in policymaking, but the necessary margin and

luck just wasn't there in reality.

147

The House had a clear Democratic majority with 257 Democrats to 178 Republicans.

148

However, in the Senate, there was a filibuster rule that requires 60 Senate votes to bring

any legislation to the floor for amendments and a final vote.

149

Democrats only had 59, including two mostly reliable votes from independents that often

sided with Democrats.

150

But the 59 wasn't enough.

151

often leaving legislation that was approved in the House to die in the Senate.

152

Then a bit of musical chairs ensued.

153

Of the 59, Ted Kennedy had a seizure earlier that year and never returned.

154

Al Franken was not officially seated until July 7th due to a highly contested race that

was followed with recounts.

155

Republican Senator Arlen Specter became a Democrat in April

156

increasing the count, but Robert Byrd got sick in May and did not return to the Senate

until late July.

157

Ted Kennedy eventually passed away on August 25, 2009, and his seat was not filled until

158

albeit temporarily.

159

A special vote

160

introduced Republican Scott Brown to officially replace Kennedy's Massachusetts seat on

161

So the Democrats had a four month window from September 24th to February 4th, 2010 to

legislate without partisan resistance.

162

With so much in flux, no direct major climate change action was achieved in that time.

163

Now, one of the most significant

164

Yet under publicized events during President Obama's term was the 2010 Supreme Court

decision in Citizens United versus FEC.

165

The case stemmed from the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, or BCRA, also known as

the McCain -Feingold Act, where a key provision prevented corporations or labor unions

166

from funding political communications within 60 days of a general election and 30 days of

a primary election.

167

In 2008, the conservative nonprofit organization Citizens United sought an injunction

against the Federal Election Commission, or FEC, who prohibited the broadcast of Hillary,

168

the Movie, a documentary that strongly criticized Senator Hillary Clinton, then candidate

169

for the Democratic nomination for president.

170

The US District Court ruled against Citizens United on all counts, citing a 2003 McConnell

versus FEC decision about campaign finance regulation.

171

There, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this provision in the BCRA.

172

The film attempted to convince voters that Clinton was unfit for office.

173

So the District Court

174

also cited the 2003 Federal Election Commission vs.

175

Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc.

176

in determining that the film intended to, quote, express advocacy or its functional

equivalent, end quote.

177

Now we've previously covered the history of the Supreme Court and its evolution as a

decision -making body.

178

Although important, justice appointments were not the source of great political

controversy as they are today.

179

The court saw a conservative shift when President Nixon promised a conservative

180

Then in 1986, Ronald Reagan nominated Antonin Scalia.

181

Today, I received with regret Chief Justice Berger's letter formally notifying me of his

retirement.

182

Immediately after my conversation with the Chief Justice, I directed my Chief of Staff,

together with the Attorney General and the Council of the President, to develop

183

recommendations for a successor.

184

And I'm pleased to announce my intention to nominate William H.

185

Rehnquist, currently an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, as the new Chief Justice

of the United States.

186

Upon Justice Rehnquist's confirmation, I intend to nominate Antonin Scalia, currently a

judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as

187

Justice Rehnquist's successor.

188

In taking this action, I am mindful of the importance of these nominations.

189

The Supreme Court of the United States is the final arbiter of our Constitution and the

meaning of our laws.

190

The Chief Justice and the eight Associate Justices of the Court

191

must not only be just jurists of the highest competence, they must also be attentive to

the rights specifically guaranteed in our constitution and the proper role of the courts

192

in our democratic system.

193

choosing Justice Rehnquist and Judge— Scalia was described as the intellectual anchor for

the originalist and textualist position in the U .S.

194

Supreme Court's conservative wing.

195

Back in 1981, as a law professor at the University of Chicago,

196

He was the faculty advisor for Chicago's version of the student group that led to the

creation of the Federalist Society.

197

At their first meeting, Scalia read a passage from the Federalist Papers, a collection of

85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to

198

promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.

199

The reason of man like man himself.

200

is timid and cautious when left alone, and acquits firmness and confidence in proportion

to the number with which it is associated.

201

Scalia expressed to the students that intellectual courage is based on strength in

numbers.

202

President George W.

203

Bush, when asked about the kind of justices he would appoint to the Supreme Court,

responded, I would pick people that would be strict constructionists.

204

We've got plenty of lawmakers in Washington, D .C.

205

Legislators make law.

206

Judges interpret the Constitution.

207

And that's the kind of judge I'm going to put on there.

208

In more detail, he shared that he would nominate judges to the court in the mold of

originalist justice Antonin Scalia.

209

Strict constructionism is used as a political catch -all term for conservative legal

philosophies that are more willing to strike down federal laws and regulations that, in

210

their view, exceed the authorities given to them by the Constitution.

211

Leading into the Citizens United v.

212

FEC case,

213

The composition of the Supreme Court had remained unchanged since 1994.

214

That court, led by Chief Justice Rehnquist, was sharply divided on a number of high

-profile issues.

215

One or two key justices could completely shift the thinking of the court on such issues.

216

Unexpectedly, Associate Justice Sandra Day O 'Connor retired in the summer of 2005.

217

She was a moderate conservative.

218

that usually sided with the court's conservative bloc, but she was considered a swing vote

and often wrote concurring opinions that limited the reach of the majority holding.

219

That September, her retirement was followed by the death of Chief Justice Rehnquist.

220

The Associate Justice replacement was Samuel Alito, who called himself a practical

originalist.

221

The Chief Justice appointment was John Roberts, who is considered a moderate conservative

222

an institutionalist.

223

The problem with Robert's version of an institutionalist, someone who wants to maintain

the credibility of the court, is that he has long appeared to defend the legitimacy of the

224

court no matter what, rather than thus far upholding ethics to prove and maintain

credibility.

225

Notably, the share of Americans with a favorable opinion of the U .S.

226

Supreme Court has, under Robert's

227

declined to its lowest point in the public opinion surveys dating to 1987.

228

Even Republican views of this conservative supermajority are at near lows, only viewed

229

That new makeup of the Supreme Court agreed to hear Citizens United versus FEC, and

despite the previous court's rulings, the court issued a 5 -4 decision in favor of

230

Citizens United.

231

And with that decision, corporate spending on electoral campaigns flooded in, exacerbating

the influence of the fossil fuel industry in politics.

232

Political power shifted from everyday Americans to wealthy special interests.

233

In 2006, the oil and gas industry spent $22 .3 million on federal elections.

234

In 2012, the first election post -Citizens United

235

that number jumped up to 73 .5 million.

236

In 2016, 102 .7 million.

237

This single decision made it more challenging to pass climate legislation as politicians

became increasingly beholden to their biggest donors rather than public interests.

238

After the 2012 election and with the economy in recovery, the Obama administration gave

more attention to climate policies.

239

President Obama placed 548 million acres of habitat under protection, including Arctic

tundra, mountain woodlands, and coral reefs.

240

This was the largest area protected by any president in U .S.

241

history, surpassing the efforts of Theodore Roosevelt.

242

Despite some resistance, such as opposition to the expansion of the Arctic National

Wildlife Refuge, Obama's conservation measures made a significant impact on preserving

243

natural habitats.

244

He rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have transported oil from Canadian tar

sands to U .S.

245

refineries, arguing that some fossil fuels should be kept in the ground to combat climate

change.

246

A less publicized but significant accomplishment was the development of appliance and

equipment standards through the Department of Energy.

247

These standards, which were largely implemented without fanfare or litigation, reduced

electricity consumption from various appliances, contributing to long -term reductions in

248

US CO2 emissions.

249

On the international stage, President Obama played a crucial role in brokering

250

the Global Climate Accord during the 2015 United Nations Climate Summit in Paris, finally

bringing the U .S.

251

into the global climate fight.

252

He committed the U .S.

253

to reducing emissions by at least 26 % below 2005 levels by 2025 and negotiated directly

with countries like China to build support for the agreement.

254

For the U .S.'s part, a significant portion of the emission reduction

255

was intended to come from Obama's Clean Power Plan, or CPP, which included the EPA's first

standards on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

256

However, it was arguably too late in Obama's term.

257

Democrats made a major miscalculation in thinking that the next president would be a

Democrat, likely Hillary Clinton, to protect and continue similar policies.

258

If the CPP wasn't proposed until June 2014 and finalized in 2015, it would still be under

litigation in the next administration, making it vulnerable to being easily overturned,

259

which is exactly what happened.

260

The 2016 presidential general election was a contentious and controversial contest between

the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and the Republican nominee Donald Trump.

261

Going into the election, polls largely suggested that Hillary Clinton would be elected.

262

But in a shocking turn of events, Donald Trump, a political outsider, won, becoming the

45th president of the United States.

263

Now it's time for America to bind the wounds of division.

264

We have to get together.

265

To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation.

266

I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.

267

time.

268

I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans.

269

And this is so important to me.

270

For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people,

I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and

271

unify our great country.

272

Later in his speech, Trump makes a point to thank Reince Priebus, then chairman of the

Republican National Committee.

273

I said Reince, and I know it, I know it.

274

Look at all those people over there.

275

I know it.

276

Reince is a superstar.

277

But I said, they can't call you a superstar, Reince, unless we win.

278

Because you can't be called a superstar like Secretariat.

279

If Secretariat came in second, Secretariat would not have that big, beautiful bronze bus

at the track at Belmont.

280

But I'll tell you, Reince is really a star.

281

And he is the hardest working.

282

Priebus was in a wing of the Republican party tied to the Koch network, who also have a

deep connection with Trump's running mate, Mike Pence.

283

Donald Trump went on to select Priebus as his chief of staff.

284

Being a political novice, the Trump campaign had a small staff and was light on policy

experience.

285

So the administration leaned heavily on the personnel from the Koch network and the

Heritage Foundation during the transition.

286

In fact,

287

The Heritage Foundation has touted its influence over Trump's agenda.

288

The organization said the Trump administration embraced two -thirds of the 334 policy

recommendations in its mandate for leadership.

289

Heritage itself cited the efforts of about 70 of its former employees working throughout

the transition and administration.

290

Like the Bush administration, hundreds of staffers from lobbying firms,

291

conservative think tanks and campaign groups began pouring into the very agencies they

once lobbied or whose work they once opposed.

292

According to ProPublica, a nonprofit organization based in New York City dedicated to

investigative journalism, after a year of filing hundreds of Freedom of Information Act

293

requests, they discovered at least 187 Trump political appointees have been federal

lobbyists

294

that went on to oversee the industries they once lobbied on behalf of, and at least 125

staffers from prominent conservative think tanks were working in the federal government.

295

They also discovered ethics waivers that allow staffers to work on subjects in which they

had financial conflicts of interest.

296

At least 35 Trump political appointees worked for or consulted with groups affiliated with

Charles and David Koch.

297

At least 25 Trump appointees came from the Heritage Foundation and at least two came from

Heritage Action, its related political nonprofit.

298

The Trump administration's ties to the Heritage Foundation were quite strong.

299

So much so that after the term, the foundation bolstered its ranks with the addition of

four members from former president Trump's cabinet, including former vice president Mike

300

Pence,

301

former acting Homeland Security Chad Wolf, former veteran affairs secretary Robert L.

302

Wilkie, and former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

303

The Cabinet cohort was in addition to at least six other Trump administration officials

304

Following the guidance of the Heritage Foundation and Koch brothers, President Donald

Trump took office

305

promising a business -friendly deregulation agenda.

306

Shortly after taking office, he issued an executive order that for every new regulation

put in place, two had to be eliminated.

307

His deregulation agenda extended into the rules that protect air and water quality and

address climate change.

308

The Trump administration rolled back more than 100 environmental rules.

309

They immediately replaced Obama's CPP

310

with the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, or ACE, which was touted to focus on improving the

efficiency of individual coal -fired plants as the best way to reduce emissions.

311

In contrast, the CPP takes a broader approach, considering how the entire electrical grid

operates and includes methods like renewable energy, fuel switching, coal firing, energy

312

efficiency, and emissions trading to reduce emissions.

313

One study revealed that the ACE standard could result in emissions rebound, which occurs

when a facility undergoes improvements to increase its efficiency and as a result operates

314

longer and more often, leading to increased emissions.

315

The analysis found that one, the ACE rule is likely to result in even higher national

316

and more harm to public health and ecosystems than EPA estimated in the final 2019

Regulatory Impact Assessment.

317

2.

318

The CPP, if updated to reflect recent emissions reductions, would achieve much larger

emissions reductions than EPA estimated in its repeal.

319

3.

320

Emissions reductions under the updated CPP

321

would be robust under shifting market conditions while emissions under the ACE rule are

likely to increase further.

322

The Trump administration also weakened fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks,

significantly slowing the progress towards reducing emissions from the transportation

323

sector, the largest source of US greenhouse gas emissions.

324

The new standards required only 1 .5 % annual increase

325

and fuel economy, down from the previous 5 % requirement.

326

Additionally, the administration revoked California's ability to set its own stricter fuel

economy rules, although this decision faced significant legal challenges.

327

In efforts to revive the coal industry, the Trump administration rolled back regulations

on emissions of mercury and other toxic substances from power plants.

328

and reduce coal ash disposal and storage regulations.

329

While this was a campaign promise, and an effort to bring back coal jobs in the US, the

coal industry remained in decline due to competition from cheaper energy options like

330

natural gas.

331

President Trump also pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement and worked to open

more land for oil and gas leasing.

332

by limiting wildlife protections and weakening environmental requirements for projects.

333

These actions prioritize economic benefits over environmental and public health concerns,

contributing to increased emissions and environmental degradation.

334

To quantify the impacts of these policy changes, Rhodium Group, an independent research

firm that analyzes China's economy and policy dynamics,

335

and global climate change and energy systems estimated the Trump administration's actions

336

The rollback of the fuel efficiency standards would add about 450 million tons of CO2.

337

The withdrawal of California's waiver if upheld

338

would add about 570 million tons by slowing the transition to electric vehicles.

339

Weaker methane regulations would contribute 640 million tons.

340

Some of the Trump environmental policies were carelessly crafted, open to litigation and

easy nullification in the courts.

341

However, the continued evolution of the justice system during his term was another

remarkable strike against the environmental movement.

342

Back on February 13, 2016, just under nine months before the 2016 presidential election,

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at the age of 79.

343

President Barack Obama had quickly named Merrick Garland to fill the seat.

344

Garland had long been considered a prime prospect for the high court, serving as chief

judge on the U .S.

345

Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

346

a frequent source of justices, sometimes called the little Supreme Court.

347

Widely considered moderate, Garland was praised in the past by many Republicans.

348

However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell withheld the confirmation hearing.

349

Of course, the American people should have a say in the court's direction.

350

It is a president's constitutional right to nominate a Supreme Court justice.

351

And it is the Senate's constitutional right to act as a check on a president and withhold

its consent.

352

As Chairman Grassley and I declared weeks ago and reiterated personally to President

Obama, the Senate will continue to observe the Biden rule.

353

so that the American people have a voice in this momentous decision.

354

American people may well elect a president who...

355

Contentious hearings, floor debates, and contested votes were common, but to completely

ignore a nomination was unprecedented in the modern era and hasn't been done since the

356

Civil War and Reconstruction.

357

McConnell recognized that this was a massive political play, relishing the action that he

understood could reshape America.

358

One of my proudest moments is when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, Mr.

359

President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy.

360

No!

361

So do we want Jim Gray and Hillary Clinton shaping the Supreme Court?

362

No!

363

Do we want Jim Gray and Hillary Clinton propping up Obamacare?

364

No!

365

Do we want some Jim Gray bobblehead in Congress rubber stamping Hillary's war on coal

jobs?

366

No!

367

Then we better not send Jim Gray or Hillary Clinton to Washington.

368

Kentucky has won a conservative Supreme Court and an end to Obamacare.

369

And the only way to get either is to send Donald Trump to the White House.

370

And my good friend Rand Paul back to the Senate.

371

Interestingly, that year, the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC run by former aides to

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who also previously led a suit to challenge

372

campaign finance regulation, raised an astonishing $39 million in the three weeks before

373

The huge injection of money helped backstop Senate Republicans and protect their majority

on Election Day.

374

The gigantic fundraising surge for the super PAC

375

pushed its total above $100 million, making it one of the best -funded super PACs of the

376

One oil and gas company, Polar Tankers Inc., a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, gave $1

million to the Senate Leadership Fund.

377

When looking specifically at McConnell's donors, research shows that 85 % of his funding

comes from large organizational donors, mega donors in oil and gas,

378

service industries, military contractors, realtors, and a collection of conservatively

branded ideological groups that often turn out to be shells for political operations by

379

other prominent Republicans.

380

But McConnell's earlier stance on letting the American people have a say in filling a

381

The death of liberal associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18th, 2020

382

under two months from the 2020 election, allowed for another justice appointment, which

the Senate quickly confirmed.

383

Now this was it.

384

That weekend at Yale, back in the spring of 1982, all led up to this moment.

385

Including the replacement nominee after the 2018 retirement of Associate Justice Anthony

Kennedy, considered a swing vote, the Trump administration would ultimately appoint

386

Supreme Court justices during his term.

387

He appointed Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch, establishing a court

where at least five of the nine members were members of the Federalist Society.

388

Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Amy Coney Barrett.

389

Chief Justice John Roberts was a member of the steering committee of the Washington DC

chapter.

390

but denies ever being a member of the Federalist Society.

391

This dramatic ideological shift created a new type of 6 -3 conservative supermajority.

392

Even beyond the Supreme Court, President Trump appointed lower federal court judges at a

rapid rate.

393

In his first term, he appointed 234 judges, only outpaced by Jimmy Carter with 262.

394

The next highest in a single term is Joe Biden with 206 confirmed and 251 nominated at the

time of this recording.

395

Then Franklin D.

396

Roosevelt with 194.

397

Jumping ahead, the transformational impact of the judicial branch can be seen in the 2024

Supreme Court decision in the combined cases of Loperbright Enterprises versus Raymond and

398

Relentless Inc.

399

versus Department of Commerce.

400

The question at the core of both cases was whether the Secretary of Commerce, acting

through the National Marine Fisheries Service and following the Magnuson -Stevens

401

Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, could require commercial fishers to pay for

onboard observers whom they are required to take on some fishing voyages.

402

Specifically, the plaintiffs were challenging a near

403

40 year old doctrine of federal administrative law known as the Chevron Deference, which

404

versus Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.

405

Congress routinely enacts open -ended laws that allow agencies to work out and adjust the

details based on new facts and findings.

406

The precedent of the Chevron ruling

407

established that courts defer to federal agencies when creating regulations based on

ambiguous law.

408

Interestingly, the 1984 Chevron case stemmed from Neil Gorsuch's mother, Anne Gorsuch,

former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator under the Reagan Administration, who

409

was forced to step down over misconduct within the EPA.

410

Gorsuch's EPA issued a rule

411

that was challenged by environmental groups for not being aggressive enough on polluters.

412

The case went to the Supreme Court where the decision was unanimous.

413

However, back in the 1980s, Corsig's EPA aimed to weaken pollution standards, so the

ruling was seen as a defeat for environmentalists.

414

Notably, by Anne's later account, after she resigned, her son Neil was furious.

415

He told her,

416

You should never have resigned.

417

You didn't do anything wrong.

418

You only did what the president ordered.

419

Why are you quitting?

420

You raised me not to be a quitter.

421

Why are you a quitter?" A Harvard Law School classmate, Emneals, also shared,

422

was just out there to rape the environment.

423

By most accounts, he did not dwell on it later in life, but it did seem to echo in his

work.

424

Another Harvard classmate recalled that while preparing a moot court brief on workplace

safety, he tried to add material concerning the EPA that did not fit.

425

In his time as an appeals court judge in Denver, his most notable writings have concerned

the power of government regulators.

426

So in a full circle moment, Neil Gorsuch

427

joined a 6 -3 ruling that overturned the 1984 decision.

428

This time, environmentalists are concerned about what a Supreme Court -steeped and

originalist doctrine will do.

429

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion that federal agencies, quote,

have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities.

430

Courts do.

431

He continued, quote,

432

Courts must exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted

within its statutory authority."

433

Between 2022 and 2024, the Supreme Court issued several rulings that significantly

restricted EPA authority.

434

Other key decisions include striking down the EPA's Good Neighbor Rule, which regulated

cross -state smokestack pollution, rejected the Waters of the United States Rule designed

435

to protect wetlands, and in 2022, the court limited the EPA's ability

436

to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants under the CPP.

437

These decisions have undermined the EPA's capacity to enforce environmental regulations

and may hinder future administrations from implementing new rules to combat pollution and

438

climate change.

439

This is just the beginning effects of the shift in the judicial branch that the Trump

administration enacted.

440

But in the last year of his presidency, everything came to a halt.

441

February 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization, or WHO, named a disease that was

rapidly traversing the globe, COVID -19.

442

The effect of the virus is an acute lung and respiratory distress syndrome that can

ultimately cause pulmonary failure and death in some of the population.

443

The virus is transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets that are expelled by a

person suffering from the illness.

444

Cases were spreading rapidly around the world and subsequently deaths.

445

By March 11th, everything was upended.

446

Covid

447

because the critical thing was to stop it.

448

A once unimaginable number.

449

President Biden now marking one million lives lost here in the U .S.

450

to COVID.

451

Behind every number is a loved one lost.

452

The WHO officially declared the global health emergency a pandemic.

453

The stock market reacted quickly as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than

454

Celebrities like Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson

455

amplified the reality of the situation as they announced that they were sick.

456

Shortly before an NBA tip -off, the Jazz's Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell tested

positive for the coronavirus.

457

The game was postponed, but soon news broke that the NBA officially suspended the entire

season until further notice.

458

Over the following weeks, the world slowly shut down.

459

businesses closed their doors and non -essential workers stayed home in an attempt to slow

the spread of COVID -19.

460

While the US government's initial response left much to be desired and the catastrophic

loss of human life that occurred was heartbreaking, the global shutdown provided insight

461

into how resilient the planet could be.

462

Reduced industrial human activity, lowered emissions and improved air and water quality.

463

Studies have shown the decline in daily CO2 emissions peaked at just over 20 % in the

largest economies.

464

The cumulative reduction in global emissions was approximately 7 % from January through

465

From March 16th to April 14th, 2020, 22 cities in India had a reduction in particulate

matter, PM10, by 43%, PM2 .5,

466

by 31%, carbon monoxide by 10%, and nitrogen dioxide by 18%.

467

Solid waste from industrial and construction activities was also reduced during the

crisis.

468

Several reports indicated a decrease in municipal, industrial, commercial, and gray water

waste during the pandemic.

469

Increased green areas and less soil erosion were also observed.

470

Migratory birds.

471

were returning to lakes and bodies of water more.

472

Researchers could see the difference in how birds communicate.

473

They could fly freely without human interference.

474

Fishing activity stopped, so dolphins came closer to shore.

475

Coyotes, normally timid, were found near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

476

Deer were seen pasturing near homes just a few miles away from the White House.

477

Italy, Barcelona, and Bergamo witnessed wild boar exploring previously populated areas.

478

The environmental recovery was brief, but it illuminated the potential of sustained

systemic changes to address environmental challenges.

479

Unfortunately, the most profound legacy of the Trump administration and this era of

politics in general will make climate action much more difficult going forward.

480

Americans were scared though, guess.

481

Nearly 200 dead, 14 ,000 who were sick, millions as you witnessed.

482

who are scared right now.

483

What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?

484

I say that you're terrible reporter.

485

That's what I say.

486

I mean, I have a mask right here.

487

I put a mask on, you know, when I think I need it.

488

I don't wear a mask like him.

489

Every time you see him, he's got a mask.

490

He could be speaking 200 feet away from me, and he shows up with the biggest mask I've

ever seen.

491

Trump also shared a tweet claiming that masks aren't about public health, but social

control, and that the image of Joe Biden wearing one endorses a culture of silence,

492

slavery.

493

Crooked Hillary, Crooked Hillary, fuck.

494

I don't respond to Donald Trump and his string of insults.

495

She's been crooked from the beginning.

496

He can say whatever he wants to say about me.

497

Crooked Hillary.

498

To explain his rigged election prediction.

499

The election is being rigged by corrupt media pushing false allegations and outright lies

in an effort to elect Hillary Clinton president.

500

Over the weekend.

501

There is amazing partnership on the ground and there needs to be.

502

As the governor said, we've had temperatures explode this summer.

503

You may have learned that we broke a world record in the Death Valley, 130 degrees.

504

But even in greater LA, 120 plus degrees.

505

And we're seeing this warming trend make our summers warmer, but also our winters warmer

as well.

506

But I think one area of mutual agreement and priority is vegetation management.

507

But I think we want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it

means to our forests and actually work together with that science.

508

That science is going to be key.

509

Because if we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it's all

about vegetation management, we're not going to succeed together protecting Californians.

510

It'll start getting cooler.

511

You just watch.

512

I wish science agreed with you.

513

Well, I don't think science knows actually.

514

Tom?

515

There was and continues to be a significant assault on institutions and science, likely

increasing climate denialism and resistance to climate action due to a growing lack of

516

trust in anything.

517

The pandemic highlighted the Trump administration's disregard for scientific advice as

seen in the politicization of public health responses.

518

This further eroded public trust in science and demonstrated the dangers

519

undermining scientific expertise and policymaking.

520

With hundreds of political appointees with ties to lobbying firms, conservative think

tanks, and industries they once lobbied for placed in key positions within federal

521

agencies, there was widespread censorship of scientific information, particularly related

to climate change.

522

Federal scientists face suppression of their work, leading to a culture of self

-censorship

523

and a decline in public trust in scientific institutions.

524

During President Trump's time in office, including the transition period, there were 154

documented instances of federal government censorship of scientists and 19 instances of

525

scientists engaging in self -censorship even before President Trump officially took

office.

526

Approximately 72 % involved

527

the suppression of information about climate change.

528

In November 2016, staff at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, deleted

content discussing the relationship between climate change and human health from at least

529

four web pages, reportedly to quote, avoid the new president's ire, end quote.

530

Similar changes were made after President Trump took office.

531

In total,

532

During the Trump administration, climate change and other scientific information was

removed from websites of 12 federal bodies, in most cases at the direction of

533

administration officials.

534

The Trump administration also removed scientific information from regulatory documents.

535

This helped the administration advance its deregulatory agenda, including by casting doubt

on the need for climate regulations.

536

Trump administration officials also attempted to suppress information that could lead to

demands for stricter regulation.

537

A survey conducted in 2016 before President Trump's election found that 72 % of scientists

felt they could, quote, openly express scientific opinions about the agency's scientific

538

work without fear of retaliation, end quote.

539

that number dropped to just 57 % in a repeat survey conducted in 2018.

540

Over 600 of the scientists surveyed in 2018 said their, quote, management change did not

consistently stand behind scientific staff who put forth scientifically defensible

541

positions, including those that may be controversial, end quote.

542

Both self and government censorship may have contributed to public mistrust

543

and federal scientists and lead some to believe that such research is inherently political

and thus untrustworthy.

544

But in 2020, Donald Trump's second bid for the presidency was denied as Joe Biden was

elected the 46th president of the United States.

545

Folks, the people of this nation have spoken.

546

They've delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory, a victory for we the people.

547

We've won with the most votes ever cast on presidential ticket in the history of the

nation.

548

74 million.

549

What I must admit has surprised me.

550

Tonight, we're seeing all over this nation, all cities and all parts of the country,

indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith, and tomorrow bring

551

a better day.

552

The Biden administration took a proactive stance on climate policy, aiming to reverse many

of Trump's rollbacks and implement ambitious new measures.

553

Key initiatives included rejoining the Paris Agreement, setting a net zero emissions goal

for the U .S.

554

by 2050, and introducing comprehensive climate legislation through the Inflation Reduction

Act.

555

By rejoining the Paris Agreement, Biden sought to restore U .S.

556

credibility

557

and global climate leadership encouraging other nations to enhance their climate

commitments.

558

The administration's most significant policy was the Inflation Reduction Act, which

despite its title contained crucial measures to address climate change.

559

This included tax policies to reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy, and

improve energy efficiency.

560

The Inflation Reduction Act aimed to transition the U .S.

561

away from fossil fuels, penalize companies for excess methane emissions, and allocate

funds for pollution cleanup.

562

Although the bill easily passed in the House behind a Democratic majority, it faced

challenges in the divided Senate, requiring all Democratic votes, including those of

563

Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin.

564

Sinema objected to tax break reform for private equity and venture capital income, while

Manchin, a known fossil fuel ally, expressed concerns about the bill's costs and its

565

aggressive transition to clean energy.

566

Manchin, with ties to the coal industry and financial backing from Exxon Mobil, was a

critical figure in the negotiations.

567

In the undercover investigation from our previous episode, Keith McCoy,

568

senior director of federal relations at ExxonMobil provided additional insight.

569

Joe Manchin, I talk to his office every week.

570

He is the kingmaker and he's not shy about sort of staking his claim early and completely

changing the debate.

571

McCoy identified other senators that were key to Exxon's efforts.

572

Republican senators Shelley Moore Capito, John Barrasso,

573

Steve Daines, John Cornyn, and Marco Rubio.

574

Democratic Senators Chris Coons, John Tester, and of course, Kirsten Sinema.

575

McCoy also mentioned Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Mark Kelly, but they were the

only two that had not accepted money from Exxon or its partners at the time.

576

Through its political connections, Exxon pushes to limit the climate aspects of

legislation.

577

So that's a completely different conversation.

578

When you start to stick to roads and bridges, and instead of a $2 trillion bill, it's a

$800 billion bill, if you lower that threshold, you stick to highways and bridges, then a

579

lot of the negative stuff starts to come out.

580

Why would you put in something on emissions reductions on climate change to oil refineries

in a highway bill?

581

So, and people say, yeah, that doesn't make any sense.

582

then you get to the germane as to say that shouldn't be in this bill.

583

Despite initial opposition, negotiations with Sinema and Manchin succeeded, although it

led to a narrower version of the Inflation Reduction Act.

584

Nevertheless, the act spurred a surge in clean energy projects across the U .S.

585

with billions invested and hundreds of thousands of jobs created.

586

It also provided tax credits for electric vehicles and clean energy technologies and

emphasized environmental justice to address climate changes impacts on vulnerable

587

communities.

588

Additionally, the Biden administration pushed for increased corporate transparency

regarding climate risk.

589

The Securities and Exchange Commission introduced a rule requiring publicly traded

companies to disclose carbon emissions.

590

climate -related risks and strategies to address climate impacts.

591

This measure aimed to provide investors with critical information to hold corporations

accountable.

592

However, Biden's climate agenda has faced significant challenges, including political

opposition, legal battles, and economic pressures, and the lasting effects of Trump's

593

deregulation, diminished public trust in science,

594

and continued corporate opposition posed ongoing hurdles for environmental protection.

595

The bottom line is it's going to take political courage, political will in order to get

something done.

596

And that doesn't exist in politics.

597

It just doesn't.

598

At the time of this recording, we are approaching what appears to be a tight race for the

599

It's clear the next administration will have a

600

pivotal role in shaping the environmental conditions that the rest of us will inherit and

must live through, good, bad, or indifferent.

601

So now what?

602

I'll highlight where we are today, what's at stake, and how exactly we move forward next

time on the finale of Going Green.

603

They don't stop.

604

Climate change allegedly is everywhere.

605

And if the American people elect a conservative president,

606

his administration will have to eradicate climate change references from absolutely

everywhere.

607

Population growth, environmental changes, and weather patterns have all been intertwined

by the left.

608

They take or even make up a term and create, extend, and alter the definition to validate

whatever ideology or position they want to ingrain and convince others is good, when in

609

reality, it's not.

610

Often, as you just heard, they are simply not coherent or logical.

611

Remember, our intelligence community identified climate change as the number one threat to

America.

612

So even if you do not work at the Department of Energy, no matter where you work, because

of the Biden administration's executive orders and policy priorities, you will have to

613

look for climate change language and get rid of it.

614

Thanks for listening.

615

Going Green is a Spaces podcast story brought to you by Lines.

616

If you learned something from this episode or think it would resonate with the print,

please share it and rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

617

It really helps others find the show.

618

If you have a question, want to submit a correction, or just share whatever is on your

mind, I'd love to hear from you.

619

You can do that at lines .studio slash podcast.

620

That's L -Y.

621

nes .studio .com and listen in to my wrap up episode to hear my response.

622

If you're looking for similar content, Spaces is a proud member of GableMedia, a digital

media platform where you can find even more content like this.

623

Visit gablemedia .com, that's G -A -B -L media .com, and before I go, if you want to see

additional photos, videos, clips, and other content that I found during my research,

624

you can visit lions .studio slash podcast.

625

Talk soon.