rolled back offshore drilling regulations?

Obama tightened offshore drilling regulations after a the 2010 Deepwater Horizons oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which resulted in 11 dead and 200 million gallons of oil being released.

Since taking office, Trump steadily undid various regulations on offshore drilling. The changes included relaxed testing requirements on equipment, decreased frequency of visits by inspectors, and eased safety requirements during active production of oil or gas.

Trump also disparaged renewable energy sources, including claiming that windmills cause cancer. His administration has rolled back several other regulations, including for endangered species and coal pollution.

NPR – Trump Administration Moves To Roll Back Offshore Drilling Safety Regulations
Time – The Trump Administration Is Rolling Back Offshore-Drilling Regulations
The Hill – Trump officials ease offshore safety rule
The Hill – Trump administration eases Obama-era offshore drilling safety rules

withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement?

With 197 signatory nations, of which only 10 have yet to ratify, the Paris Agreement sought to bring the world together in limiting greenhouse emissions. Trump decided to withdraw from the agreement because he believed that the stipulations were unfair to US businesses and taxpayers.

While Trump announced his decision during his first year in office, the process for withdrawal must begin three years after the agreement was adopted, and requires an additional year after notice is given to be official. That places the final official withdrawal date at November 4, 2020.

Trump has long been skeptical of the international consensus on climate change. He has referred to climate change as a “Chinese hoax” and claimed that windmills cause cancer, while rolling back regulations. His administration has rolled back several regulations, including for endangered species, offshore rigs, and coal pollution. Nevertheless, the Department of Defense has asserted that climate change remains a national security issue.

The New York Times – Trump Serves Notice to Quit Paris Climate Agreement
BBC News – Paris climate accords: US notifies UN of intention to withdraw
Foreign Policy – Is the United States Really Leaving the Paris Climate Agreement?
NPR – U.S. Formally Begins To Leave The Paris Climate Agreement
Climate Change News – Which countries have not ratified the Paris climate agreement?
US Department of Defense – DoD Releases Report on Security Implications of Climate Change

said the US should prevent forest fires by “raking and cleaning and doing things”?

Trump left many confused when he discussed how Finland prevented widespread forest fires, and how the United States should emulate them. He recalled a conversation with the leader of Finland, saying, “They spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things.” He explained, “We’ve got to take care of the floors, you know the floors of the forest, very important. You look at other countries where they do it differently and it’s a whole different story.

The Finnish President said that “raking” never came up in their conversation. Trump was likely referring to methods of clearing brush, which are in fact key methods of preventing and minimizing fires, and are employed in California and elsewhere.

Trump made the remarks while visiting Paradise, California, a town that had been devastated by forest fires. He later threatened to withhold funding to California for managing fires and disaster relief.

Newsweek – TRUMP SUGGESTS NOT RAKING LEAVES IS BIGGER CAUSE OF CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES THAN CLIMATE CHANGE
Independent – Trump leaves Finland bewildered by claiming country stops wildfires by ‘raking and cleaning’

was laughed at by Scottish Parliament?

In 2012, Trump railed against a Scottish proposal to construct an ocean wind farm a mile from the coast, which would be visible from his newly acquired Aberdeen golf course. He claimed that it would cause a great deal of environmental damage in the area. When asked for empirical evidence, Trump put forward his own expertise:

Trump: I am an expert on tourism. If you…dot your landscape with these horrible, horrible structures, you will do tremendous damage-

 

Member Of Scottish Parliament (MSP): (interrupting) My question is, where is the clinical evidence – not an opinion, an empirical assessment; where is your clinical evidence?

 

Trump: Well, first of all, I am the evidence. I think I’m more of an expert-

 

(laughter)

 

Trump: – I…you know what, I think I’m a lot more of an expert than the people you’d like me to hire, who are doing it to make a paycheck-

 

MSP: -If you won’t-

 

Trump: -But I am an expert in tourism.

As of 2019, the golf course had lost money for the previous consecutive 7 years.

Trump warned of wind turbines’ supposed dangers several times over his presidency, including asserting that their noise causes cancer. During his tenure, he also drew laughter at the United Nations for claiming his administration had accomplished among the most as any other in US history.

BBC News – Trump and Scotland: The people who hit back at the president
Bloomberg – Trump’s Aberdeen Golf Course Posts Loss for Seventh Year in Row

said that he directed the EPA to investigate low-flow fixtures because people needed to flush toilets 10 to 15 times?

They take a shower and water comes dripping out, just dripping out very quietly dripping out. People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once. They end up using more water. So, EPA is looking at that very strongly, at my suggestion.

Reuters – Trump takes aim at trickle-down toilets, faucets
Business Insider – Trump says the EPA is looking ‘very strongly’ at ‘sinks and showers and other elements of bathrooms’ because people are flushing their toilets 10 to 15 times
The Washington Post – Trump Orders Toilet Rule Review Over Low-Flow Flushing

went on a Twitter rant against the governor of California, threatening to deny emergency funding amid widespread wildfires?

Trump argued that the governor was failing in managing the forest fires because he refused to “‘clean’ his forest floors,” and instead was doing what “his bosses, the environmentalists, demand.” The fires were not located in forested areas, and clearing brush from forests is already a widely employed tactic. Trump previously referred to this as “raking” the forest floors.

Politico – Trump threatens to end federal aid to California in tweets slamming Gov. Gavin Newsom
ABC News – Trump threatens to cut off federal funding for California wildfires

dismissed a United Nations report on climate change?

The report was created by a the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a panel of 91 scientists from 40 countries. Trump explained,

“It was given to me. And I want to look at who drew it. You know, which group drew it. I can give you reports that are fabulous, and I can give you reports that aren’t so good. But I will be looking at it, absolutely.”

Trump has referred to climate change as a “Chinese hoax” and claimed that windmills cause cancer. He also withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, an international coalition of nations seeking to combat climate change.

The US Department of Defense has called climate change a national security threat.

ABC News – State Dept casts doubt on UN climate report as Trump says: ‘I want to look at who drew it’
US Department of Defense – DoD Releases Report on Security Implications of Climate Change

said that Hurricane Florence was “one of the wettest we’ve ever seen, from the standpoint of water”?

His remark was,

I just want to thank all the incredible men and women who have done such a great job helping with Florence. This is a tough hurricane — one of the wettest we’ve ever seen, from the standpoint of water. Rarely have we had an experience like it. And it certainly is not good. But the people of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, all of the areas affected, you’ve been incredible.

Hurricane Florence left extensive damage throughout the Carolinas, and was directly responsible for 24 deaths.

New York Magazine – Trump Calls Hurricane Florence ‘One of the Wettest We’ve Ever Seen From the Standpoint of Water’
ABC News – Trump calls Florence ‘one of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water’

said, “I support the Great Lakes. Always have. They’re beautiful. They’re big. Very deep. Record deepness”?

Trump made the remarks at a rally in Michigan to explain why he backed funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. His 2020 budget planned to cut funding for the initiative by 90 percent.

The Hill – Trump contradicts his own budget proposal, tells rally crowd he’ll give more money for Great Lakes restoration
Associated Press – Trump backtracks on call to gut $300M Great Lakes program

More assuredly to come soon

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