On March 28, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order ordering the rollback of a large number of environmental policies put into place by the Obama administration. Rules regulating emissions for power plants, methane leaks, the moratorium on federal coal leasing, and consumer-level carbon emissions, are part of the de-regulation called for in the order. But despite this setback to addressing the issue of greenhouse gas emissions, a coalition of 75 U.S. mayors have told Trump that they plan to defy his regressive policies.
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The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released its "Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2016", an annual detailed analysis of the state of the world’s climate. The WMO remarked that "The year 2016 made history, with a record global temperature, exceptionally low sea ice, and unabated sea level rise and ocean heat," and that these "Extreme weather and climate conditions have continued into 2017."
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Around the world, the renewable energy sector has become a major growth industry: according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), employment in this sector rose by 5 percent in 2015, accounting for 8.1 million jobs around the world. The industry is projected to add another 24 million positions by 2030, as the world’s population clamors for alternatives to fossil fuels.read more

Documents obtained by The National Association of Clean Air Agencies from an anonymous source have revealed President Donald Trump’s plans to make massive budget and personnel cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. This news comes amidst the controversy stirred up by a statement made by incoming EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, having declared that human activity is not a contributor to climate change.

The proposed cuts themselves would entail slashing the agency’s already tight $8.1-billion budget by 25 percent, and cut its 15,376-member workforce by 20 percent. The EPA’s budget and manpower has already been pared back to late-1980s levels, prompting concern over whether or not the agency would be able to effectively function.
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