Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** As Trump fills his cabinet, Biden pushes to lock in environmental legacy
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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Lee Zeldin, President-elect Trump's pick for EPA administrator, in 2019. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 ([link removed])
As President-elect Donald Trump announces his choices for high-level positions in his administration, his environmental plans are coming into focus.
Former Florida congressman Lee Zeldin will head the Environmental Protection Agency ([link removed]) . During Zeldin's time in the House, he voted against clean air legislation at least a half dozen times and against clean water bills at least a dozen times, according to the League of Conservation Voters ([link removed]) . Zeldin has a 14 percent lifetime score from LCV. Trump said that Zeldin would "ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions" to "unleash the power of American businesses."
The New York Times reports ([link removed]) that Trump's former Interior secretary, David Bernhardt, is working on the transition team that is preparing a slate of executive orders. Those orders include shrinking national monuments in the West to allow more drilling and mining on public lands, and eliminating every office across the federal government that works to limit pollution that disproportionately affects poor communities.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's administration is working to "Trump-proof ([link removed]) " his climate and environmental legacy. That includes finalizing plans to protect the greater sage-grouse ([link removed]) across the West and limit oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ([link removed]) .
The Biden administration is also planning to deliver billions of dollars in climate and clean energy grants ([link removed]) in the coming months. White House clean energy adviser John Podesta said the administration had issued $98 billion in grants by the end of the fiscal year that ended in September—88 percent of the funding available—with the rest on the way before Biden leaves office.
** Quick hits
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Western states brace for Trump's environmental impact
Denver Post ([link removed]) | KSL ([link removed]) | Texas Tribune ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | Bloomberg ([link removed])
"Almost cartoonishly evil:" Zeldin to head EPA
New York Times ([link removed]) | The New Republic ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | NPR ([link removed])
Biden team works to lock in climate legacy, finalizes sage-grouse and Arctic protections
Washington Post ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | Post Independent ([link removed])
Enviro groups call for Biden to take 'bold action' as climate summit kicks off
The Independent ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed])
76 Alaska Native tribes tell Haaland to ditch 'reckless' Izembek road review
E&E News ([link removed]\) | Anchorage Daily News ([link removed]) (opinion)
Utah's land grab gets support from Nevada county commissioners
Nevada Independent ([link removed])
New Mexico considers ban on 'forever chemicals' in oil and gas operations
Source NM ([link removed])
Colorado drillers say they've reduced methane emissions by 95%. Watchdogs aren't so sure
Denver Post ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” This is not the end of our fight for a cleaner, safer planet. The fight is bigger than one election or political cycle.”
—White House clean energy adviser John Podesta, New York Times ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@nationalparkservice ([link removed])
The most popular porcupine hobby is needlepoint.
Quilting is a close second. Fun fact! A porcupine has approximately 30,000 quills on its body? Needle bit a love? Umm, no thanks, not a hugger. We repeat. Not. A. Hugger. Did you know porcupines don’t throw their quills? Don’t get us wrong, they may throw some sassy barbs, (Porcupines are vocal critters and create a wide array of verbal cues, including shrill screeches, coughs, groans, whines, passive aggressive insults, and teeth chatters) but alas, no quill launching. However, on occasion, loose quills will fall out (awkward), creating the illusion that they’re being launched. We apologize that it took so long to get to the point.
Bonus: Not to keep you on pins and needles, but a group of porcupines is called a prickle. A baby porcupine is called a porcupette.
Image: A porcupine perched in a tree at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. NPS/ Patrick Meyers
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