US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that rolls back the policies of former US President Barak Obama on climate change. Obama had started an international campaign on climate change to limit global warming and had banned several industries. Signing the new orders, Trump said that the regulations against usage of coal and creation of new jobs would now be things of the past.
“My administration is putting an end to the war on coal,” Trump said.
“With today’s executive action I am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on American energy, to reverse government intrusion and to cancel job-killing regulations.”
Many environmentalists have criticized Trump’s decision, while several business groups have praised the new order.
The new order suspends about half dozen measures that were enacted by President
Barak Obama. Trump said the new US government has no intention to make policies like those made by Obama to curb carbon dioxide emissions. The new order will encourage use of fossil fuel.
Tom Steyer, a billionaire environmental activist, described the new order as insult to values. Some environmental groups are now planning to challenge the new executive order in court.
“These actions are an assault on American values and they endanger the health, safety and prosperity of every American,” Tom Steyer was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Trump signed the order in office of Environmental Protection Agency. He said that he is taking a historical step to stop the ongoing tussle on usage of coal. During his election campaign, Trump had promised that if he is elected as the American President, he will ensure that USA steps out of 2015 Climate Change Agreement.
The new order also suspends the Clean Power Plan introduced by Barak Obama to curb the CO2 emission in each state of USA under Paris Agreement. According to experts, the new order will have an impact on whole world. Robert N. Stavins, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, says all eyes are now set on India, Brazil and China to see their response. If these countries decide to step out of the Paris Agreement, it will be a big blow to efforts on reducing global warming.
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