Category: Climate Change Denial

Rejecting scientific consensus on global warming.

Trump Orders Federal Probe of Climate Science Academy Over ‘Fraudulent’ Guidance

President Donald Trump ordered federal officials to investigate the National Academy of Sciences, accusing the organization of publishing "fraudulent, biased, and misleading" climate guidance that he claimed influenced federal court decisions and cost the country billions of dollars. Trump directed federal suspension and debarment officials to examine the academy's conduct, characterizing its work as "Climate Fraud" and asserting that taxpayers should not fund the institution.

The directive targets the Federal Judicial Center's Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, a publication developed jointly with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to help federal judges evaluate scientific evidence in court. The manual's fourth edition, released in December, included a new chapter on climate science designed to assist judges assessing expert testimony in climate-related cases. That chapter was later withdrawn after Republican attorneys general argued it was biased against fossil fuel companies.

Trump claimed the academy has been "run by Radical Left Dumocrats" and that the organization's materials shaped major legal rulings across the country. In his Truth Social post, he stated that judges used these "bogus Manuals" to decide significant climate litigation cases, which he characterized as creating "huge losses across our Country."

Trump's order follows his broader assault on federal institutions, including his demand that NBC and ABC have their broadcast licenses revoked for declining to air his primetime address. The action represents his continued weaponization of federal power to punish institutions that do not align with his political agenda and to suppress scientific consensus on climate change.

The directive also came after Trump pressured Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over wildfire management, demanding that Canada pay "damages" to the United States for smoke pollution drifting across the border. Trump claimed he raised the issue while attending the FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/totally-discredited-trump-orders-probe-of-national-academy-of-sciences-over-bogus-climate-guidance/)

Trump Demands Canada Pay Damages for Wildfire Smoke

President Trump demanded Canada pay financial damages or face tariffs for wildfire smoke reaching U.S. cities, claiming the air has been “poisoned” and citing business closures in Michigan. Trump stated he had spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and told him to stop fires from “poisoning our air,” but indicated the conversation yielded insufficient action. He proposed Canada either compensate the United States or face tariff threats, framing the wildfires as Canada’s responsibility rather than a natural disaster.

Trump cited specific economic harm, noting that Ford’s Michigan assembly plant experienced thick smoke forcing dozens of workers to seek medical attention and requiring the closure of car plants and other businesses. The president claimed he had never witnessed such widespread wildfire smoke impacts in his lifetime, stating the phenomenon only began occurring over the previous 4-5 years. These assertions contradicted established climate science documenting decades of wildfire escalation tied to warming temperatures and changing weather patterns.

The wildfire situation reflects Trump’s history of weaponizing natural disasters and federal authority against states and nations he opposes. Earlier, Trump denied federal disaster assistance to Colorado following wildfires and flooding, accusations he was punishing Democratic Governor Jared Polis. Trump has simultaneously eliminated the EPA’s scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, stripping the agency of authority to regulate greenhouse gases and rejecting decades of peer-reviewed research.

Trump’s demand for payment or tariffs exploits environmental destruction to advance his trade agenda while refusing to acknowledge the climate emergency driving increased wildfire severity. His simultaneous erasure of climate science and blame-shifting to Canada exemplifies his strategy of using governance crises to consolidate executive power and attack adversaries rather than address root causes. The pattern extends to using disaster denial and aid weaponization against Democratic officials, subordinating disaster response to partisan loyalty tests.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-wants-canada-to-stop-poisoning-the-usas-air-maybe-they-should-pay/)

Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over wildfire smoke in US cities

Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada in response to wildfires sending smoke into the United States, accusing the country of "willful negligence" in forest management. Trump said on Truth Social that he would call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to demand an explanation, describing the air reaching US cities as "filthy, polluted, and unhealthy." As of Saturday, approximately 955 fires were actively burning across Canada, with more than 190 in Ontario alone, many out of control.

Canadian officials rejected Trump's characterization and outlined their response to the crisis. Prime Minister Carney stated that climate change is "everyone's responsibility, truly everyone's, including the United States," and noted that Canada has invested approximately C$12 billion in forest sustainability and fire prevention. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called Trump's rhetoric "a shame" and "unacceptable," noting that Canada has previously assisted the US with California wildfires and hurricane response, and that Michigan and Massachusetts have already offered water bombers and firefighters to help battle the blazes.

Scientists disputed the premise of Trump's complaint, explaining that wildfire impacts transcend borders and are driven partly by climate change. Dr. Patrick James from the University of Toronto stated that weather patterns do not respect international boundaries, and smoke from major US wildfires has affected Canada in previous years. Dr. Anabela Bonada from the University of Waterloo emphasized that "climate change is a global issue, and it would be inaccurate to suggest that Canada alone caused or could have prevented these wildfires," noting that sustained heat at the end of June combined with below-average rainfall contributed to rapid fire increases.

The smoke has caused widespread disruption across the northern United States, with air quality in Detroit ranked worst in the world and hazardous conditions affecting Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. Outdoor events have been cancelled, flights delayed, and communities advised to remain indoors. US lawmakers from affected districts issued an open letter accusing Canada of chronic under-investment in forest management and claiming that "American lungs are paying the price for Canadian inaction, year after year," though their demands for direct US involvement in Canadian wildfire operations conflict with established cross-border cooperation agreements dating to 1982.

Trump's threat follows a pattern of trade tensions with Canada, which has endured tariffs over the past year after decades of duty-free trade without achieving a new agreement. Some Republicans have used the wildfire issue to renew calls for Trump's recurring proposal to make Canada a US state, while others suggested delaying the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a Canada-funded infrastructure project connecting Ontario to Michigan. Trump has previously eliminated federal climate endangerment findings that would have regulated greenhouse gases, contradicting the scientific consensus that climate change drives increasingly severe wildfire seasons.

(Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyq93j34lgo)

Trump EPA Taps Hildebrand Lobbyist to Dismantle Methane Rules

Oil billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand, a major Trump donor, received a White House summons in January after Trump ordered the military raid capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. At the East Room meeting, Trump pressed Hildebrand and two dozen other energy executives to commit $100 billion to Venezuela’s oil industry, and Hildebrand pledged Hilcorp’s involvement despite having no significant operations outside the U.S. Hildebrand’s willingness to demonstrate loyalty reflects his strategic positioning as Trump has begun dismantling Biden-era methane regulations that would have cost his company substantially.

Hildebrand’s Hilcorp owns roughly 11,000 wells across the U.S., primarily “stripper wells” that produce minimal oil and gas but release vast quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Though stripper wells generate only 6 percent of U.S. oil and gas output, scientists estimate they account for roughly half the sector’s methane emissions due to minimal monitoring and deteriorating infrastructure. A satellite detected a massive methane plume from a Hilcorp well in New Mexico in June 2024 discharging at 199 kilograms per hour, roughly 12 times the well’s typical daily output, with seven of eight Hilcorp sites visited by Earthworks investigators showing evidence of leaks.

Trump has placed a former Hilcorp lobbyist in a top Environmental Protection Agency position overseeing efforts to dismantle the Biden administration’s aggressive methane restrictions. ProPublica’s investigation found the lobbyist is soliciting input from oil industry trade groups backed by Hildebrand as the administration moves to unravel rules that would have imposed steep compliance costs on Hilcorp. The rollback will provide sweeping relief for the nation’s 700,000 stripper wells while shifting climate costs onto society, as methane contributes one-third of global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution.

Hildebrand’s rise from modest Texas origins to a $15 billion fortune rests on what analysts call the “dung beetle model,” acquiring aging wells at low cost and slashing expenses to maintain profitability. Environmental records show Hilcorp accumulated dozens of violations over the past decade, including a Cook Inlet pipeline rupture in Alaska that spewed methane for nearly four months in 2016. Penalties rarely exceeded $500,000, with analysts characterizing enforcement fines as routine operating costs rather than meaningful deterrence.

Unlike carbon dioxide, which persists in the atmosphere for centuries, methane breaks down in roughly a dozen years, making methane reductions the most effective near-term climate lever available. Stanford researcher Rob Jackson stated that curbing oil and gas methane emissions offers “the best bang for our buck” in fighting global warming, as existing technology is viable and cost-effective. Hildebrand’s transformation into a major Trump donor in 2024 directly followed the Biden administration’s methane restrictions, positioning him to recoup losses through regulatory rollback rather than operational changes.



(Source: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-methane-jeffery-hildebrand-hilcorp-oil-regulations?utm_campaign=propublica-sprout&utm_content=1781863145&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcASk-2RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEew_BzskPcQgTl7GpCk52X3GzIB58MLw0LeGYyiqZyGQYou_R_uJFWqE1CGD8_aem_NkX6som_m3wKpWj623tbYA)

Trump announces new coal export terminal in Oakland – Los Angeles Times

President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on June 4, 2026, to direct nearly $700 million in federal funding toward coal infrastructure, including $75 million for a new coal export terminal at Oakland’s decommissioned Army Base. The funding will upgrade 13 existing coal plants nationwide, construct two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia, and restart a shuttered Maryland facility, with coal exports from the Oakland terminal expected to begin in summer 2028 at volumes exceeding 12 million tons annually.

Trump justified the investment as essential to national security and lowering energy costs, citing rising electricity expenses tied to artificial intelligence data center demand. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed the terminal would strengthen U.S. energy security and supply chains, exporting coal to allied nations including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. However, residential electricity bills have increased nearly 11 percent since Trump returned to office in January 2025, contradicting claims that coal investment reduces costs.

Environmental and energy experts documented that the policy will increase, not decrease, utility bills and air pollution. The nonpartisan Energy Innovation report found 99 percent of U.S. coal plants are now more expensive to operate than replacement with local solar, wind, or energy storage. Margaret Gordon of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project criticized the project as unconscionable given that state and local regulators have spent millions reducing emissions in an area already experiencing disproportionate pollution from port and industrial operations.

Coal combustion generates approximately 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion and is a major driver of air pollution, releasing fine particles harmful to respiratory and cardiovascular health. Trump’s EPA weakened mercury and toxic air emission limits from coal plants in February 2026. Local opposition groups, including San Francisco Baykeeper and Sierra Club San Francisco Bay, announced plans to challenge the project in court, disputing whether coal export infrastructure qualifies as critical national defense infrastructure under the Defense Production Act and whether the federal spending represents proper use of taxpayer funds.

The Oakland terminal revives a decade-long battle over West Coast coal exports. Trump has simultaneously threatened to illegally cut billions in federal funding to California and other Democratic states, creating a pattern of weaponizing federal resources to punish jurisdictions that oppose his priorities. The project demonstrates Trump’s use of emergency powers and public funds to sustain failing fossil fuel industries while blocking renewable en(Source: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-06-04/trump-invokes-emergency-powers-to-invest-700-million-in-coal-including-new-export-terminal-in-california)ergy investment.

Trump Admin Dismantles $368M Ocean Monitoring

The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system deployed over the past decade to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems, and ocean currents affecting global climate. The National Science Foundation will remove over 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and the Irminger Sea between Greenland and Iceland beginning in June, with removal taking approximately 15 months.

Scientists have relied on data from this network to understand how oceans absorb greenhouse gases, how ocean temperature changes affect fisheries and coastal flooding, and changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current, a critical global water circulation system that researchers warn may be weakening due to climate warming. A collapse of this current system could produce severe weather effects globally. Craig McLean, acting chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during Trump's first term, stated the dismantling "reflects the further lack of understanding that the current administration has of scientific value and scientific merit" and said it pushes "the United States back yet again into a rear seat in global scientific leadership."

The Trump administration repeatedly attempted to defund the Ocean Observatories Initiative, proposing 80 percent budget cuts in both 2025 and 2026, though Congress restored the $48 million annual operating budget both times. The administration proceeded with decommissioning despite congressional opposition, forcing system managers to disable some instruments and reduce data collection in response to funding pressure.

Hilary Palevsky, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Boston College, has used Irminger Sea data for a decade to study ocean carbon dioxide absorption. She characterized the removal "without a plan to store them or to continue collecting data" as "very hasty," noting that "there's a lot of expertise that has the potential to be lost" given the engineering complexity of maintaining remote ocean instruments and the difficulty of rebuilding such systems.

The observation network, which began operating in 2016 and was designed to function for 25 years, provided critical data for understanding coastal weather, commercial fisheries, and climate-related environmental changes across multiple U.S. regions. Jim Edson, the marine meteorologist who led the initiative, called it "the world's most advanced continuously operating ocean observing systems."

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html)

Starmer told ‘drill, baby, drill’ by Trump over North Sea oil fields | The Independent

Donald Trump pressured Prime Minister Keir Starmer to expand North Sea oil and gas drilling, using the phrase “drill, baby, drill” and demanding Scotland abandon wind energy development. Trump claimed the United Kingdom is “tragic” for refusing to exploit North Sea oil reserves and stated that Aberdeen “should be booming” with fossil fuel extraction, despite Europe’s stated energy security needs.

Trump asserted that Norway profits by selling North Sea oil to Britain at double the price, implying the UK should extract and sell its own resources instead. He reiterated his long-standing opposition to wind energy, calling it an “expensive joke,” and demanded the UK cease wind turbine development in Scotland while prioritizing oil drilling.

The Republican president’s intervention in UK energy policy reflects his consistent push to expand fossil fuel extraction globally and his hostility toward renewable energy infrastructure. His demands contradict the UK government’s stated climate and energy transition goals, positioning Trump as openly hostile to clean energy policy regardless of national sovereignty or environmental commitments.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-starmer-north-sea-oil-drill-b2957519.html)

Trump administration will pay a French company $1 billion in taxpayer funds to not build wind farms | CNN

The Trump administration announced it will pay French energy corporation TotalEnergies nearly $1 billion in taxpayer funds to abandon offshore wind farm development off the coasts of New York and North Carolina. The Justice Department will reimburse the company for federal leases purchased under the Biden administration, effectively blocking two projects that could have generated over 4 gigawatts of electricity. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné stated the company will instead invest the funds in a liquified natural gas plant in Texas and expand oil drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico and shale projects across the United States.

This represents a shift in the Trump administration’s strategy to block renewable energy projects after failing to prevent construction of more established offshore wind operations. The Interior Department previously halted federal permit approvals for renewable energy initiatives, and this payment marks the first instance of the federal government directly paying companies to prevent wind farms from being built. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed offshore wind is too expensive and unreliable, assertions contradicted by energy experts who note that wind projects operate under fixed power agreements with stable costs unlike fossil fuels.

The cancellation worsens an emerging electricity shortage affecting the United States, particularly in mid-Atlantic states where power demand from data centers and vehicle electrification is straining available capacity and driving prices upward. Elizabeth Klein, former director of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, stated the scrapped New York project specifically would harm a region desperately needing new electricity sources, and called the administration’s decision nonsensical.

Industry representatives have condemned the payment as wasteful and counterproductive for consumers. Sam Salustro, senior vice policy official for the Oceantic Network offshore wind trade association, characterized the arrangement as political theater that removes affordable domestic energy while electricity costs soar. Multiple energy companies holding undeveloped offshore wind leases worth over $5 billion have publicly indicated they expect reimbursement if prevented from proceeding, including German renewables firm RWE, which paid $1.2 billion for three leases and stated it will pursue legal action if necessary to recover its investment.

The Interior Department has not disclosed whether additional reimbursement agreements are under negotiation with other developers. Klein criticized TotalEnergies for accepting the arrangement, noting that while the deal benefits the corporation, it constitutes a poor outcome for American taxpayers and national energy requirements.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/23/climate/trump-totalenergies-offshore-wind-cancellation?Date=20260323&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1774297189&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleAQuy0BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeXrMNBFritZlgXiCGcc-cSL6nY6v1Cg00nqgRU2sEO6-K5n_TeSikdvfEdMI_aem_IQ24n7QPilVpv78sNc1G9Q)

Trump EPA Weakens Mercury Rules for Coal Plants

The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to weaken mercury emission restrictions for coal-fired power plants, according to reporting on February 18, 2026. Senior EPA officials under Administrator Lee Zeldin were expected to announce the loosening of hazardous pollutant limits during a trip to Louisville, Kentucky on Friday, with the agency arguing the change would reduce costs for utility companies.

The EPA has already exempted 47 coal companies from mercury and air toxics regulations for two years and proposed repealing Biden-era rules limiting carbon dioxide, mercury, and other air pollutant emissions from power plants. The agency estimates the new restrictions would save companies as much as $670 million between 2028 and 2037, according to internal documents reviewed by the New York Times.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin capable of impairing fetal brain development, and the rollback directly contradicts established science on public health harm. Trump declared an “energy emergency” to justify keeping aging coal plants operating and exempting them from critical air regulations, prioritizing coal industry interests over documented environmental and health protections established under previous administrations.

The administration has simultaneously dismantled renewable energy support by removing tax incentives for wind and solar projects and slow-walking permits for renewable energy development on federal, private, and state lands. This pattern reflects Trump’s stated goal of fast-tracking energy infrastructure to support artificial intelligence and data center demands while blocking clean energy alternatives.

The move represents a continuation of the administration’s broader effort to provide industrial polluters exemptions from emissions requirements for toxic chemicals, with the EPA establishing mechanisms for coal plants to request presidential waivers under the Clean Air Act framework.

(Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-epa-plans-loosen-mercury-rules-coal-plants-this-week-nyt-reports-2026-02-18/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=69961ca43819fb000132f3a1&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleAQEH7ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeZ3nczEhi-kfTKzmV6XIetkq0fohVtl24MPu_UKmzDZqrMolGRNSoeJuN4m8_aem_h-nG89BQRW3OU4xHJKQnpA)

Trump Admin Removes NCAR Supercomputers, Dismantles Weather

The Trump administration is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, a leading American weather and climate research institution, by removing its supercomputing facility according to a National Science Foundation letter released Thursday. The administration characterizes NCAR as a source of “climate change alarmism” and plans to transfer the supercomputer to an unspecified third party, disrupting access for approximately 1,500 researchers from over 500 universities who depend on the facility for weather forecasting models, climate simulations, and extreme weather prediction research.

The supercomputing center’s separation from NCAR threatens critical infrastructure that directly serves the American public through more accurate weather forecasts and climate event predictions used in daily weather applications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently selected a weather modeling system developed by NCAR researchers and relies on the supercomputing facility to operate its current models, making the facility essential to national weather forecasting capabilities.

NCAR director Everette Joseph acknowledged in a staff letter that the center lacks clarity on the transition timeline or the identity of the managing entity, stating “We do not yet know who the new managing entity will be nor do we know the timeline for this transition.” The NSF has requested proposals for reorganizing NCAR and national weather research infrastructure, notably omitting climate research from its mention of continuing programs while indicating support for weather-related work.

Colorado officials, including Democratic Governor Jared Polis, view the dismantling as retribution targeting the state to pressure clemency for Tina Peters, a former county election clerk convicted in a 2020 election-related data breach scheme and prominent election denier. Former NCAR director James Hurrell and prominent atmospheric scientists have warned NSF that fragmenting or dismantling NCAR contradicts national interests and could undermine NOAA’s efforts to improve weather modeling capabilities that lag international competitors.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/13/weather/trump-colorado-lab-ncar-supercomputer-climate?fbclid=IwdGRleAQB3sZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeB6HO7iqiW0l93wkU2pdoFbFYU71nTPeuDRUryMCYA5dlIL1su5RbInEfngw_aem_NInVf6P89PWWZQxvhGK8pA)

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