The Federal Government’s War on the Environment Can Have Only Limited Effect

It’s no surprise that Trump’s presidency is in the process of reversing the progress that the U.S. has made over the last half century vis-a-vis environmental protection and climate change mitigation; after all, that was one of his campaign promises, and (give him some kind of perverse credit for this) his actions since taking office are every bit as destructive as he claimed they would be.

But, though the federal government is the most visible element of our country, it’s really only one. For instance, consider corporate America, sometimes  maligned for its heartless and insatiable greed, often plays a key role in developing and promoting technologies that  serve to defend our environment.  What’s more, some of the executive bodies of these organizations are composed of people of good will.

Here’s an excerpt from an article about GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt (pictured above) and his reaction to Trump’s latest assault on U.S. efforts to stem climate change. In his letter to Trump, Immelt isn’t discourteous, but he’s “not having it, ” either.  For example, instead of implying that Trump is mentally unstable and has lost control of his faculties, he suggests that Trump’s “imagination is at work” if he disbelieves the science on global warming.

Immelt …. calls on other American companies to pick up the baton that the White House has so carelessly discarded.  (He writes:)

“Companies must be resilient and learn to adjust to political volatility all over the world. Companies must have their own ‘foreign policy’ and create technology and solutions that address local needs for our customers and society.

We believe climate change should be addressed on a global basis through multi-national agreements, such as the Paris Agreement. We hope that the United States continues to play a constructive role in furthering solutions to these challenges, and at GE, we will continue to lead with our technology and actions.”

Immelt went on to point out that innovation and investment into green technology is not only both environmentally prudent and profitable, but also a necessary evolution in today’s rapidly changing global economy.

The rest of the world, recognizing both the opportunities to be found and the urgent need to adapt to green technology, is moving on to bigger and better things as the United States … wages an all-out war on science and regulations that protect both the environment and the public.

China is investing $360 billion over the next three years in environmentally-friendly technologies; countries as varied as Sweden, Costa Rica, and Kenya are all leading the charge in developing renewable energy and other green technologies. President Trump, on the other hand, just repealed the Clean Power Act and banned the use of “emissons reduction” in the Department of Energy memos.

If the White House and Congress won’t face reality, it’s up to the Immelt and the free market that Republicans worship so devoutly to take the charge and do what’s right for the American people and the future of our world as we know it.