Project 2025: Climate
Climate change denial is mainly a political phenomenon driven by think tanks and ambitious politicians looking to advance economic interests—typically bankrolled by the affected industries and companies. Forbes Magazine
The Heritage Foundation is a think tank that receives funding from the Koch network and conservatives like Leonard Leo. This group is backed by a coalition of conservative organizations, and history shows that whatever the Heritage Foundation has wanted, they have largely gotten from Republican presidents. Most recently, the Heritage Foundation has created a roughly 900-page document called The Mandate for Leadership, referred to as Project 2025.
Project 2025 seeks to stomp out all elements of environmentalism across the federal government. This conservative blueprint proposes to strip the federal government of the funds, people, and power to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. It would eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The plan would kneecap environmental programs and every department that works on environmental goals like the Global Change Research Program. Project 2025 aims to weaken landmark environmental laws, like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Most importantly, experienced professionals would be fired unless they signed a Loyalty Oath to The President (not to the Constitution!). The combined knowledge and independence of these experts would be GONE.
Project 2025 seeks to end the government’s involvement in national energy decisions, including incentives for clean energy choices by middle class Americans. Federal subsidies for electric vehicles and current fuel mileage mandates for new cars would cease. Restrictions on fossil fuel drilling would be eased, once again opening more public lands to fossil fuel developments.
Project 2025 would dismantle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors carbon in the atmosphere, and remove any governmental oversight of global climate change, including the monitoring and reporting of severe weather patterns by the National Weather Service. While climate-driven weather disasters become more frequent and more costly and homeowner's insurance becomes more unreliable, Project 2025 proposes legislation limiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster assistance and increasing the responsibilities of states and local governments to supply necessary aid to devastated areas.
In addition, should Project 2025 be enacted, the America the Beautiful Initiative and the Antiquities Act of 1906 would both be dust. These are the laws that protect our most amazing places, like the Grand Canyon. Think about that.
Thanks to contributor Cheryl McKinley for insight into the irresponsible and horrific effects of Project 2025, the Republican playbook for how to achieve their goals.
