The Trump administration has decided to revoke California’s power to set its own standards for vehicle emissions. There are three reasons why this is happening.
The obvious reasoning for this move by the “Environmental” Protection Agency is to encourage the consumption of dirty energy commodities. Fossil fuel producers and refiners, most of whom support Trump, have the opportunity for continued profits, even as their products shorten the time we have to stabilize the planet’s climate.
Weakening auto emissions standards nationwide dovetails with other administration actions, including rolling back rules governing coal-burning power plants and easing restrictions on energy companies governing leaks of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Never mind that tailpipe pollution is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
This is also about legitimizing executive power in the face of a deteriorating system of checks and balances. The White House is eager to move quickly to revoke California’s authority to set its standards, hoping the administration will get to defend the effort in the Supreme Court before the end of Trump’s first term.
Finally, telling California to “suck a tailpipe” is all about rolling back policies from the Obama era AND attacking left coast liberals. Because they can, even if it disrupts one of the country’s remaining manufacturing industries.
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