The agency is reportedly closing down a unit focused on preparing for the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise and more extreme weather. An agency official justified the decision by saying that adaptation should be conducted at the local, not federal, level. Certainly, the shuttering of the EPA's crack climate response office fits within the worldview of White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, who said last month,“As to climate change, I think the president was fairly straightforward: We’re not spending money on that anymore…We consider that to be a waste of your money to go out and do that.” Well then, will the last climate staffer at EPA please shut off the lights on the way out?
Related Content
Skip carousel items
As Seas Rise, How Far Will Trump’s Anti-Climate Agenda Go?
Expert BlogRob Moore
The ocean is going to be significantly higher than previously understood, according to the latest national assessment of sea level rise.Will President Trump and his appointees roll back policies to address the impacts of climate change—like sea level rise.
Defending the Climate in the Trumpocene: NRDC Goes to Court
Expert BlogDavid Doniger
Future geologists will define the Trumpocene as the period of official climate denial and presidential attempts to roll back climate action, prop up declining energy firms, stop scientific and economic research on the health of our home planet, and destroy…
Are the Effects of Global Warming Really that Bad?
GuideUnited States, InternationalMelissa Denchak
Short answer: Yes. Even a seemingly slight average temperature rise is enough to cause a dramatic transformation of our planet.