The Trump administration rolled back one of the most comprehensive Obama-era regulations with the hope of reviving the flailing coal industry. It erased regulations that required each state to meet certain carbon emission targets, and eased the environmental requires on waste from coal and fossil power plants. It also removed requirements for existing plants to upgrade to more efficient systems. The regulations were first instituted in response to a 2008 disaster in which over a billion gallons of waste from a coal ash pond flooded a Tennessee town, and another 2014 spill in North Carolina had millions of gallons pour into a river.

Trump, who has called climate change a “Chinese hoax,” has also overseen the rollback of protections for endangered species and regulations for offshore rigs.

New York Times – E.P.A. to Roll Back Rules to Control Toxic Ash from Coal Plant
Politico – Trump rolls back Obama’s biggest climate rule
US News & World Report – EPA Moves to Rollback Coal Power Plant Waste Rules
Market Watch – Trump administration rolls back Obama-era regulations on coal pollution

The Endangered Species Act has had broad partisan support since being instituted in 1973. It has been credited with saving the bald eagle and grizzly bears, and continues to protect some 1600 species. The UN has determined that some 1 million plant and animal species are endangered.

The Trump administration’s changes to the Endangered Species Act include allowing consideration for economic factors, will no longer offer the same protections to “threatened” species as it does “endangered,” and removes any uniform interpretation of what risks species face in the foreseeable future.

His administration has rolled back several other regulations, including for offshore rigs and coal pollution.

NPR – 1 Million Animal And Plant Species Are At Risk Of Extinction, U.N. Report Says
NPR – Trump Administration Makes Major Changes To Protections For Endangered Species
The New York Times – Trump Administration Makes Major Changes To Protections For Endangered Species
Time – The Trump Administration’s Changes to the Endangered Species Act Risks Pushing More Species to Extinction

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

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’