Trump accelerates environmental rollbacks at unprecedented pace in first 100 days
Donald Trump’s administration has moved to dismantle 145 environmental protections in just 100 days, outpacing the entire first term’s rollbacks and targeting rules on pollution, fossil fuels, and public lands.
Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Since January 20, the Trump administration has initiated 145 actions to weaken or repeal environmental protections, surpassing the 110 rollbacks made during his first presidency.
- Policies affected include clean air and water regulations, wildlife protections, and climate policies such as the Paris Agreement and limiting fossil fuel use, while new drilling and mining projects have been fast-tracked.
- Legal experts warn that many rollbacks bypass proper rule-making procedures, leading to lawsuits that could invalidate several actions, although the administration continues to push its deregulatory agenda aggressively.
Key quote:
“What we’ve seen in this first 100 days is unprecedented – the deregulatory ambition of this administration is mind-blowing.”
— Michael Burger, expert in climate law at Columbia University
Why this matters:
Environmental regulations are the foundation of public health and ecological resilience in the United States. Protections for clean air and water, limits on toxic pollution, and policies addressing climate change safeguard millions of people from disease, natural disasters, and degraded living conditions. The rapid pace and scope of rollbacks threaten to undermine decades of bipartisan work to support economic growth while protecting the environment. Moreover, bypassing established legal procedures weakens democratic norms and may erode public trust in environmental governance.
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