Climate/Environmental News Mid-February 2020
The news cycle never stops, especially when it comes to environmental policy. We are going to look at the headlines from February 15th-21st and discuss what it really means.
This issue, we discuss the “Bezos Earth Fund”, Donald Trump Destroying the Environment, Anti-Carbon Tax, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental policies. Let’s get started.
The Bezos Earth Fund
Jeff Bezo’s of Amazon, one of the world’s largest polluters, announced “The Bezo’s Earth Fund” this week. With few details release except that it will be $10 Billion Dollars and that money will be release this summer, 2020.
It makes me wonder if it is a fund for Mr. Bezos to control the whole planet? Even his employees were skeptical:
As employees, here is our statement to Jeff Bezos’ Earth Fund announcement (as an image): pic.twitter.com/opgcCpa67D
— Amazon Employees For Climate Justice (@AMZNforClimate) February 17, 2020
What really got me is how many environmentalist groups began to salivate at the thought of more funding trickle to their ineffective coffers.
Jeff Bezos is no more evil than I. He just has the ability to do anything he wants. Unfortunately, it is causing real problems – hurting the environment and local communities.
EmissionsTax isn’t the only person/group that sees this as little more than a tax write off that allows Bezos to acquire assets and technology instead of paying taxes.
Jeff Bezos donation for his earth fund is actually going to be given over 25 years I hear, so less than the interest on his money and far too late to make a meaningful difference. That’s for all you Amazon defenders.
— Claire Richards, PhD RN (@carichardsrn) February 19, 2020
Easy fix would be for Amazon to support EmissionsTax.
Policy is Deciding Factor
Lots of talk in the news about Carbon and Dividend Tax, which means that the powers that be are pushing the news cycle. I’ve been watching the news cycle since prior to EmissionsTax founding, which is why I created it in the first place.
There has to be someone that speaks the truth, or at least questions the same authorities that led us to the situation we are currently in.
Please, No Carbon Tax
In the Washington Post – A ‘carbon fee’ and dividend: A dangerous environmental policy (WP) – Letter to Editor discussing what we at EmissionsTax have been for years – the fact that we should not be letting our policy be controlled by polluters.
A carbon fee that is collected and reimbursed via taxpayer expense, taxed via the Treasury and extolled as a quid pro quo so the industry can exempt itself from emissions regulation is dangerous environmental policy.
said Julie A. Wash, Saratoga Springs, NY here
Julie’s comments are in response to an article touting the glories of a carbon tax in the Washington Post (owned by Jeff Bezos).
We’ve talked about the problems of Carbon Taxes since the inception of EmissionsTax.
Here‘s an article in the Washington Post – Parents can’t fix climate change with life hacks — but here are ways to make a real impact.
” Climate change, experts have widely stated, is a problem that must be solved at a policy level. “
The article promotes a safe book, and entices you to get your kids involved in Lobbying because “they know how to”.
“Now is the time to plug into the electoral cycle, at whatever level parents and families can,” director of Mom’s Clean Air Force says.
I donated my time to Hilary in 2016, here is how that turned out.
Trump is Ruining the Environment
For the last month American President Donald Trump’s name has been all over environmental news. Is he really to blame for the world’s environmental problems?
I don’t think so; just not part of the solution. I really don’t like Trump as a President or his Environmental Policy, but I do respect his strategic abilities.
He basically shut down funding of his opposition in 2019 by not passing a budget. Odds are in his favor to win in 2020, and I believe he does care about the American people.
US National Environmental Policy Act
The National Environmental Policy Act was created in 1970 to ensure the proper consideration of implications governments agencies projects and work have on the environment.
Trump appears to want to reduce costs of doing business for resource gatherers and traditionally polluting industries – Trump Wants To Take A Red Pen To The National Environmental Policy Act – as discussed on this WBEZ article.
According to the article Trump wants to cut up NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) to:
- Increase the amount of Federal Actions it can move forward without assessment
- Stop requiring applicants to consider cumulative effects of their projects (like pollution)
- Shorten the completion time of Environmental Impact Statements
I actually learned a lot by reading the article, so I recommend. Reminder to shout out to it’s author, Jerome McDonnell.
Got a kick out of this, so I took a screenshot to document:
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You friend,
Environmental Policy is Social