Weekend Reader, Sunday March 11
Phil Dokas/flickr

Weekend Reader, Sunday March 11

Tariffs-n-Korea-n-porn star headlines push more shenanigans from the EPA and Interior below the fold.

Did somebody say "Drain the Swamp?"


Apparently, President Trump's operative plan for draining the Washington swamp is to hire former lobbyists to do cannonballs into it. The Associated Press reports that of 59 hires they tracked at EPA, about a third previously worked as registered lobbyists or lawyers for "chemical companies, fossil fuel producers, and other corporate clients."

Of course, the facepalming depth of malfeasance and conflict of interest at EPA, Interior, and other agencies can't bull its way into America's headlines. Legitimate issues like North Korea and guns, and distractions like All the President's Porn Stars hog the headlines and lure the pundits, allowing the swamping of government to quietly thrive.

The New Republic's Emily Atkin writes that EPA's social media is promoting the work of the venerable climate deniers at the Heartland Institute. Meanwhile, The Hill, whose news reporters do solid work on the environment, chose to publish a cheerful op-ed from Heartland that blows kisses to EPA boss Scott Pruitt and is march toward "greatness."

Hey, when you get chosen for the world's most important cabinet, maybe $139,000 doors are appropriate. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spent that much, according to the AP, on office improvements. Secretary Zinke also opined this week that wind turbines are warming the planet.

Not to be outdone, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was reportedly involved in some environmental swampery while in the Senate: Mother Jones links him to a bribery scandal involving a Superfund site in an inner-city Birmingham neighborhood. And EPA brushed off environmental racism claims from another Alabama site: Uniontown is a predominantly black town in the shadow of a colossal landfill that receives garbage from 33 states,

Interesting read from The New York Times: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt wanted to stage a "red-blue debate" on climate change late last year, but White House Chief of Staff John Kelly denied the effort. (but credit the scoop to Robin Bravender of E&E News with the scoop on this, back in December.)

Folks, these are only a few of the environmental adventures of the Trump Administration from one week's reporting. The President is fond of calling strong journalism "fake news" and casting reporters as enemies of the state. Twenty years from now, today's EPA cuts, public lands giveaways, and climate denial will matter, and will potentially hurt us deeply. Twenty years from now, I'm pretty sure Stormy Daniels won't matter.

Top Weekend News

In the New York Times, Eric Lipton reports that the slumping prospects of offshore oil drillers are getting a boost from the Trump Administration.


Reveal News reports that countless Native American archaeological sites could be at risk as the Interior Department prepares to auction off former National Monument sites for resource extraction.

Opinions and Editorials

Perhaps the most interesting thinktank to pop up in recent years is the Niskanen Center—a libertarian, right-of-center group that's parted ways with the conservative climate denial dogma. The Center's Joseph Majkut asks a fair question: Is climate coverage biased?

Writing for Outside Online, Glenn Nelson says green groups aren't paying attention to inclusion and diversity.

On PRI's Living On EarthLiving On Earth, Peter Dykstra and Steve Curwood discuss what may be the world's dirtiest river, and they look back to 1925, when evolution went on trial in Tennessee.

Non-Pornstar News from Trumpworld

A newly-appointed EPA environmental justice advisor left behind a little plutonium problem at his last job.

Exception to the (broken) rules: ClimateWire profiled Peter Navarro, an ascending trade advisor in Trumpworld. Navarro has in the past been endorsed by a local Sierra Club chapter in a political race, and been described as both "an environmental pit bull" and "a jerk." Fun read.

a row of flags in front of a building.
Credit: Mmoka/Unsplash

World climate talks resume without U.S. as global negotiators assess new path forward

The United States skipped a major round of United Nations climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany this week, leaving other nations and U.S. civil society groups to navigate the talks without the world's largest fossil fuel producer at the table.

Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

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Smoke billows from an industrial chimney at sunset near several homes.

Judge rules EPA overstepped in cutting pollution grants

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from canceling $600 million in environmental justice grants aimed at helping underserved communities reduce pollution.

Rachel Frazin reports forThe Hill.

In short:

  • The grants stem from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which set aside $3 billion for environmental justice programs.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden had planned to distribute the $600 million through regional groups, which would fund local efforts, before the Trump EPA terminated the grants earlier this year.
  • Judge Adam Abelson ruled the EPA's cancellation exceeded its authority “precisely because they are ‘environmental justice’ programs."

Key quote:
The move included a “lack of any reasoned decision-making, or reasoned explanation.”

— Judge Adam Abelson, U.S. District Court

Why this matters:
Underserved communities often face the greatest environmental health risks and climate impacts. These grants were designed to help local groups respond to long-standing environmental harms and health risks, and canceling them would have cut off vital support just as cleanup efforts were beginning to gain traction. The Trump administration has also attempted to cancel a similar $20 billion program that would fund climate-friendly projects.

coffee mug near open folder with tax withholding paper.

Senate Republicans move to cut clean energy tax credits despite bipartisan benefits

Congressional Republicans are advancing a tax plan that would slash incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles, drawing criticism from advocates and some GOP members whose districts benefit from green investments.

Alexa St. John reports for The Associated Press.

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A stream running through green forested hills.

Brazil moves to auction vast oil blocks despite climate and Indigenous concerns

Brazil is set to auction off oil and gas exploration rights in a massive offshore and Amazon region sale, prompting backlash from Indigenous groups and environmental advocates just months before it hosts the Cop30 climate summit.

Constance Malleret reports for The Guardian.

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An image showing a downpour with a caution sign.

New research links stalled jet stream to rising summer weather extremes

The number of extreme summer weather events driven by trapped atmospheric waves has tripled since 1950 due to climate change, new research shows.

Seth Borenstein reports for The Associated Press.

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Farm machinery helping harvest turnips.

How agribusiness lobbying boosts corporate control over food and climate policy

Industrial agriculture companies spent hundreds of millions lobbying Congress ahead of the stalled farm bill debate, further distancing everyday Americans from decisions shaping the nation’s food systems and climate future.

Brian Calvert reports for Civil Eats.

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Steel mill under a cloudy sky.
Credit: Michi/Pixabay

Steelmaker retreats from clean energy plans as hydrogen costs and politics shift

Cleveland-Cliffs is scaling back plans to build the nation's first green steel plant in Ohio, pivoting away from hydrogen and back to fossil fuels as federal incentives face repeal and political winds change in Washington.

Alexander C. Kaufman reports for Canary Media.

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