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Statement From Ken Berlin, President and CEO of the Climate Reality Project, on President Trump’s Anticipated Pro-pollution Executive Order

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Tomorrow, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing EPA to start a regulatory process designed to gut many of the Obama Administration’s environmental protections and clean energy policies, including the Clean Power Plan. President and CEO of The Climate Reality Project, Ken Berlin, released the following statement in response.  

“The Trump Administration continues to fulfill its campaign promise to trample on environmental protections and prioritize the jobs of fossil fuel executives under the guise of protecting American workers. President Trump campaigned on the assertion he would revive the job market but President Trump is seeking to destroy the perpetually growing renewable energy industry that employs hundreds of thousands of American workers and improves our nation’s energy independence.”

“The Clean Power Plan (CPP) is a model of what smart climate policy should do: ensure states fulfill their obligations to protect citizens’ health while empowering them to decide how to do it. The good news is that the President cannot rescind the CPP by decree. Instead, EPA must start a new regulatory process and its action must comply with law and be based on the facts. The changes that the President seeks will not meet that standard and they will be challenged at every step of the way, including in court.  If the president were serious about creating energy jobs, he'd listen to the market and promote further growth in clean energy, the number one job provider in the electricity generation sector. 

“The executive order also demands the Department of the Interior lift its coal leasing moratorium on public lands. The Climate Reality Project delivered over 42,000 citizen comments to Interior, urging it to end coal mining on public lands permanently. President Trump promised to represent all Americans, but he is actively disregarding these voices and the vast majority of Americans who want to see more clean energy and less destruction of the environment.

“Though the President’s executive order undoubtedly seeks to weaken institutionalized protections for clean energy and the environment, the good news is that no executive order can roll back the overwhelming public support and the economic momentum of clean energy. As solar, wind, and other forms of renewable energy continue to become cheaper and as more substantive local and private sector action is taken to reduce emissions, we will keep making progress. The government cannot ignore a clean energy mandate from the people, and it’s our job as citizens, activists, organizers, parents, friends, and neighbors to work to make that mandate a reality.”