Politics

These 2 Words Vanished From the White House Website After Trump's Inauguration

January 20th 2017

All mentions of climate change action seem to have disappeared from the White House website after President Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday.

The site changed hands precisely at noon Friday, and the Trump administration unveiled its "America First Energy Plan" which outlines a policy that "will embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans." 

The omission of climate change and addition of "reviving America’s coal industry" on the site didn't go unnoticed by social media users.

"President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule," according to the site

The Climate Action Plan was launched in June 2013 by the Obama administration, and it placed limits on carbon emissions and promoted renewable energy research and projects. Obama's fight against climate change and global warming included this plan among others, including the 2015 Clean Power Plan, which was sued by 29 states and has been put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court

Trump's energy plan pledges to use oil and natural gas revenue from federal and privately-owned land to fund infrastructure projects. The administration also aims to use clean coal technology to create jobs and revitalize the coal industry. However, the term clean coal is a bit misleading.

"Since the early 2000s, there has been a wave of optimism that this technology could play a vital role in slowing climate change by cleaning up some of the biggest emitters of carbon pollution. Now there is significant skepticism that the technology can be scaled up affordably, reliably and soon enough to make a difference," according to The New York Times in regards to clean coal. 

The consensus among environmentalists is that coal — also the cheapest energy source — can never actually be clean.  

"With no reference to renewable energy, this dirty energy plan ignores the clean energy economy that is so critical to creating jobs and fighting climate change. This is a disgraceful way for Trump to begin his presidency," Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters, told Mashable in a statement.  

Trump's cabinet is stocked with nominees who have ties to the fossil fuel industry or histories of climate denial, though some of them have tempered these positions at recent confirmation hearings. 

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