The Landscape Trump’s Day One attack on public lands
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Jan 21, 2025 Drew McConville, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and an expert on public lands and energy, joins the conversation to unpack the immediate impacts of Trump's executive orders on the environment. He discusses the prioritization of fossil fuels over conservation, especially in relation to Alaska's ecosystems. The implications for indigenous communities and wildlife protections are alarming. Additionally, the episode highlights the potential dangers of rolling back environmental regulations and the complexities of nuclear waste management in local communities.
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Manufactured Energy Emergency
- Trump declared a "national energy emergency" despite record-high US oil and gas production.
- This declaration seems to be a pretext for prioritizing fossil fuels over renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Unleashing American Energy's True Target
- The "Unleashing American Energy" executive order targets regulations hindering oil and gas production.
- It's a broad directive to agencies to find and reverse any such regulations without explicitly naming specific targets like the Boundary Waters.
Alaska on the Chopping Block
- The Alaska-focused executive order specifically targets the Western Arctic, Tongass National Forest, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for resource extraction.
- It also aims to open 28 million acres of previously protected public lands to development, despite opposition from Alaska Native communities.