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Author Topic:   When Fascism Comes To America
Taq
Member
Posts: 9975
Joined: 03-06-2009
Member Rating: 5.7


Message 46 of 303 (907504)
02-24-2023 3:42 PM
Reply to: Message 44 by xongsmith
02-24-2023 3:40 PM


Re: Forgiveness
xongsmith writes:
But wouldn't that deprive the rest of us a chance to form a cheering crowd lining the streets?
That is a drawback, I will admit. I guess we could attach some cameras to some balloons and drift them over Crazyland.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 44 by xongsmith, posted 02-24-2023 3:40 PM xongsmith has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 48 by Phat, posted 02-24-2023 3:45 PM Taq has replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 47 of 303 (907505)
02-24-2023 3:44 PM
Reply to: Message 44 by xongsmith
02-24-2023 3:40 PM


Re: Forgiveness
xongsmith writes:
But wouldn't that deprive the rest of us a chance to form a cheering crowd lining the streets?
Any excuse to throw a party!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 44 by xongsmith, posted 02-24-2023 3:40 PM xongsmith has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 48 of 303 (907506)
02-24-2023 3:45 PM
Reply to: Message 46 by Taq
02-24-2023 3:42 PM


Re: Forgiveness
Crazy land? Isn't that the town that Mayor Pete used to run?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 46 by Taq, posted 02-24-2023 3:42 PM Taq has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 49 by Taq, posted 02-24-2023 3:58 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

  
Taq
Member
Posts: 9975
Joined: 03-06-2009
Member Rating: 5.7


(4)
Message 49 of 303 (907507)
02-24-2023 3:58 PM
Reply to: Message 48 by Phat
02-24-2023 3:45 PM


Re: Forgiveness
Phat writes:
Crazy land? Isn't that the town that Mayor Pete used to run?
Crazyland is where there are Jewish funded space lasers, id transmitters in vaccines, voting machines from Venezuela, CRT everywhere, and the like. In Crazyland you don't get removed from office if you claim that the vote was rigged. They will also get rid of all taxes and socialism (i.e. Medicare, SS). All religious freedoms are taken away since it will be a Christian theocracy.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 48 by Phat, posted 02-24-2023 3:45 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 50 by AZPaul3, posted 02-24-2023 4:27 PM Taq has not replied

  
AZPaul3
Member
Posts: 8513
From: Phoenix
Joined: 11-06-2006
Member Rating: 5.3


(4)
Message 50 of 303 (907508)
02-24-2023 4:27 PM
Reply to: Message 49 by Taq
02-24-2023 3:58 PM


Re: Forgiveness
Crazyland is where there are Jewish funded space lasers, id transmitters in vaccines, voting machines from Venezuela ...
So, it's the republican caucus.

Stop Tzar Vladimir the Condemned!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 49 by Taq, posted 02-24-2023 3:58 PM Taq has not replied

  
Tanypteryx
Member
Posts: 4344
From: Oregon, USA
Joined: 08-27-2006
Member Rating: 5.9


(3)
Message 51 of 303 (907509)
02-24-2023 4:39 PM
Reply to: Message 45 by Phat
02-24-2023 3:41 PM


Re: Justifiable Extremism?
Phat writes:
you would *never* vote for anything that any Republican proposed. Am I right?
I don't remember them proposing anything that didn't intentionally fuck a bunch of Americans and line their own pockets.
Do you remember them deregulating the railroads under Turd?

Stop Tzar Vladimir the Condemned!

What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python

One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie

If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy

The reason that we have the scientific method is because common sense isn't reliable. -- Taq


This message is a reply to:
 Message 45 by Phat, posted 02-24-2023 3:41 PM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 52 by jar, posted 02-24-2023 4:51 PM Tanypteryx has seen this message but not replied
 Message 56 by Phat, posted 02-25-2023 9:51 AM Tanypteryx has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 395 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


(3)
Message 52 of 303 (907510)
02-24-2023 4:51 PM
Reply to: Message 51 by Tanypteryx
02-24-2023 4:39 PM


Re: Justifiable Extremism?
Repealing safety and maintenance requirements as well as liability risks.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 51 by Tanypteryx, posted 02-24-2023 4:39 PM Tanypteryx has seen this message but not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 54 by Taq, posted 02-24-2023 5:31 PM jar has not replied

  
xongsmith
Member
Posts: 2578
From: massachusetts US
Joined: 01-01-2009
Member Rating: 6.8


(5)
Message 53 of 303 (907512)
02-24-2023 5:18 PM
Reply to: Message 45 by Phat
02-24-2023 3:41 PM


Re: Justifiable Extremism?
Phat asks:
you would *never* vote for anything that any Republican proposed. Am I right?
Sure I would, if and when they ever do propose something good.
Nixon signed the EPA into existence. but it was a Democratic congress that wrote it up for him.
12 Republicans voted with the Dems to impeach the 2nd time, but it was still short of the 2/3 needed to convict.
Liz Cheney held the Constitution over party loyalty.

"I'm the Grim Reaper now, Mitch. Step aside."
Death to #TzarVladimirtheCondemned!
Enjoy every sandwich!

- xongsmith, 5.7dawkins scale


This message is a reply to:
 Message 45 by Phat, posted 02-24-2023 3:41 PM Phat has not replied

  
Taq
Member
Posts: 9975
Joined: 03-06-2009
Member Rating: 5.7


(4)
Message 54 of 303 (907513)
02-24-2023 5:31 PM
Reply to: Message 52 by jar
02-24-2023 4:51 PM


Re: Justifiable Extremism?
jar writes:
Repealing safety and maintenance requirements as well as liability risks.
Absolutely. In Crazyland, if a train wrecks and spills toxic chemicals everywhere don't expect the government or the company that spilled it to do anything. Nope, "government is the problem" is the Republican motto, so they won't be showing up. Good luck to anyone affected by the toxic spill since Crazyland is all about "personal responsibility".
Makes one wonder if they will make it more than 1 generation with toxic drinking water, open pits of nuclear waste, and the like.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 52 by jar, posted 02-24-2023 4:51 PM jar has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 55 by xongsmith, posted 02-24-2023 5:52 PM Taq has not replied

  
xongsmith
Member
Posts: 2578
From: massachusetts US
Joined: 01-01-2009
Member Rating: 6.8


(1)
Message 55 of 303 (907515)
02-24-2023 5:52 PM
Reply to: Message 54 by Taq
02-24-2023 5:31 PM


Re: Justifiable Extremism?
taq writes:
jar writes:
Repealing safety and maintenance requirements as well as liability risks.
Absolutely. In Crazyland, if a train wrecks and spills toxic chemicals everywhere don't expect the government or the company that spilled it to do anything. Nope, "government is the problem" is the Republican motto, so they won't be showing up. Good luck to anyone affected by the toxic spill since Crazyland is all about "personal responsibility".
Makes one wonder if they will make it more than 1 generation with toxic drinking water, open pits of nuclear waste, and the like.
i wonder if Biden can unrepeal Trump's sabotaging of the brake upgrade that he made to suck the Big RR dicks. or does he have to get the Fucking Fascists to go along?

"I'm the Grim Reaper now, Mitch. Step aside."
Death to #TzarVladimirtheCondemned!
Enjoy every sandwich!

- xongsmith, 5.7dawkins scale


This message is a reply to:
 Message 54 by Taq, posted 02-24-2023 5:31 PM Taq has not replied

  
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 56 of 303 (907530)
02-25-2023 9:51 AM
Reply to: Message 51 by Tanypteryx
02-24-2023 4:39 PM


What Is Deregulation
Tanypteryx writes:
I don't remember them proposing anything that didn't intentionally fuck a bunch of Americans and line their own pockets.

Do you remember them deregulating the railroads under Turd?
When I read this, I had to find out what happened to the railroads. (Ask jar...im naive about a lot of basics)
I found this website: Rail Deregulation in the United States
So I read:
Rail deregulation in the United States is a good example of how a policy shift can produce significant changes in the economic health of an industry, and how its structure may be changed.(...)
So i'm thinking of my "Mayor Pete" comment and of how my conservative pro-Trump friend hates Pete. (regarding the chemical spill. )
This is all like being in class!
The Geography of Transport Systems:
In the United States, the rail industry has since its inception been operated by the private sector. However, because of their importance, their fixedness as well as their monopoly in several regions, the rail industry became early the object of public scrutiny and political intervention. The railroads began to be seen to operate the service in the public interest, and therefore have been bound by certain government regulations. The policies that developed over the first 100 years of rail operations were intended to prevent a monopoly and maintain open access.
The article goes on to mention several key points, none of which I knew anything about prior to doing my research. Such as:
  • Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976
  • Staggers Rail Act of 1980.
    Being a Union guy, I was paying close attention when my source said
    quote:
    Operating costs were reduced significantly by staff reductions. Contracts with the unions produced agreements to remove the brakemen from trains, thereby doing away with one third of the personnel required for train operation and removing the need for cabooses. Other concessions, such as hours of work and daily distances crews are allowed to operate, have significantly improved productivity.
    With the release of regulatory control over rates, the railroads could begin charging market rates, and because they were allowed to enter into confidential contracts, they had greater flexibility in negotiating with large volume shippers. This introduced more competition between the modes and led to lower rates overall.

    Laying off people is an example of "fucking a bunch of Americans"...so im still trying to understand what deregulation even means. I DO vaguely remember something about Reagan and the air traffic controllers, and jar and I have discussed the deregulation of the power companies and utilities. But its all new to me.

  • This message is a reply to:
     Message 51 by Tanypteryx, posted 02-24-2023 4:39 PM Tanypteryx has replied

    Replies to this message:
     Message 57 by Tanypteryx, posted 02-25-2023 10:35 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied
     Message 58 by nwr, posted 02-25-2023 11:55 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied
     Message 59 by Tanypteryx, posted 02-25-2023 2:33 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied
     Message 60 by jar, posted 02-25-2023 2:40 PM Phat has seen this message but not replied

      
    Tanypteryx
    Member
    Posts: 4344
    From: Oregon, USA
    Joined: 08-27-2006
    Member Rating: 5.9


    (3)
    Message 57 of 303 (907537)
    02-25-2023 10:35 AM
    Reply to: Message 56 by Phat
    02-25-2023 9:51 AM


    Re: What Is Deregulation
    Phat writes:
    But its all new to me.
    Getting rid of safety regulations for citizens, workers, children, consumers and the environment, is what the Turd administration was attempting every day they were in office. Cutting funding to governmental agencies so they cannot hire or pay regulators is a standard republican strategy. Maybe you noticed all their bullshit about "armed IRS agents are coming to kill you" rhetoric.
    Your question was about voting for anything the Republicans propose. Can you name any bills they have proposed that didn't fuck everyone but the ultra rich and Republican politicians? How about sunsetting every fucking federal law so they all have to be re-authorized by Congress? Social security, Medicare....for fuck sake Phat you great financial wizard, pay attention!
    Point to a single republican bill that was intended to just help people, to make the lives of the poor just a fucking tiny bit better, without a hidden government money geyser for the wealthy!
    Phat writes:
    So i'm thinking of my "Mayor Pete" comment and of how my conservative pro-Trump friend hates Pete.
    They hate him because he's a gay man who ignores their hate and gets on with doing his job with dignity.

    Stop Tzar Vladimir the Condemned!

    What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python

    One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie

    If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy

    The reason that we have the scientific method is because common sense isn't reliable. -- Taq


    This message is a reply to:
     Message 56 by Phat, posted 02-25-2023 9:51 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

      
    nwr
    Member
    Posts: 6408
    From: Geneva, Illinois
    Joined: 08-08-2005
    Member Rating: 5.1


    (3)
    Message 58 of 303 (907541)
    02-25-2023 11:55 AM
    Reply to: Message 56 by Phat
    02-25-2023 9:51 AM


    Re: What Is Deregulation
    ...so im still trying to understand what deregulation even means.
    Here's an example. We could drop the laws against shoplifting. That would be a kind of deregulation. I mention this example, because shoplifting is something that bothers you.
    If we dropped the regulations against shoplifting, then the stores would have to hire more people. So this kind of deregulation would actually help provide more jobs.
    For Republicans, regulations are seen as rules that restrict what the wealthy can do. Deregulation means giving the wealthy more freedom to increase their wealth. But the Republicans would never reduce regulation that restricts the poor, which is why they are always talking about "law and order".
    For Democrats, regulations are seen as rules to provide a level playing field. So if you want to restrict shoplifters from ripping off store owners, then you should also restrict the wealthy from ripping off ordinary consumers. For Democrats, deregulation should be limited to removing old laws and rules that are no longer useful.

    --> -->Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity --> -->

    This message is a reply to:
     Message 56 by Phat, posted 02-25-2023 9:51 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

      
    Tanypteryx
    Member
    Posts: 4344
    From: Oregon, USA
    Joined: 08-27-2006
    Member Rating: 5.9


    (3)
    Message 59 of 303 (907542)
    02-25-2023 2:33 PM
    Reply to: Message 56 by Phat
    02-25-2023 9:51 AM


    Re: What Is Deregulation
    Oh, I know...let's deregulate the banks!
    After the banks failed during one of the Republican led recessions they deregulated the banks, because they needed to rip off more poor people with fraudulent mortgages. Or just defund the bank regulators. Oh, another good one...let's deregulate the Securities and Exchange, Wall Street.
    Let's deregulate the defense industry and government contracts, and I'll bet we can bribe the rest of the regulators...Who's going to notice if body armor for our brave soldiers won't stop bullets.
    Let's regulate the fuck out of elections so we have people at every polling station intimidating voters and we require special ID to vote that you have to obtain at one single DMV office somewhere in Alabama that is only open between 2PM and 3PM on alternate Thursdays, but IDs will be mailed directly to white voters, that will stop all the voter fraud.
    The list goes on and on and on, Phat! This is rich people misusing their influence over politicians to rig the system so it always rips you off to THEIR benefit. That's Republicans, that's conservatives!

    Stop Tzar Vladimir the Condemned!

    What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python

    One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie

    If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy

    The reason that we have the scientific method is because common sense isn't reliable. -- Taq


    This message is a reply to:
     Message 56 by Phat, posted 02-25-2023 9:51 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

      
    jar
    Member (Idle past 395 days)
    Posts: 34026
    From: Texas!!
    Joined: 04-20-2004


    (5)
    Message 60 of 303 (907543)
    02-25-2023 2:40 PM
    Reply to: Message 56 by Phat
    02-25-2023 9:51 AM


    Re: What Is Deregulation
    I know Phat will not bother to read this but here are the basics of the rollbacks during the Trump Administration. It does not include new examples of deregulation or wealth transfer to the rich and corporists.
    It's not "when Fascism comes to America"; it's "It did happen here!"
    quote:
    Air pollution and emissions
    Completed
    1. Weakened Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
    E.P.A. and Transportation Department | Read more »
    2. Revoked California’s ability to set stricter tailpipe emissions standards than the federal government.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    3. Withdrew the legal justification for an Obama-era rule that limited mercury emissions from coal power plants.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    4. Formally withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement, an international plan to avert catastrophic climate change adopted by nearly 200 counties.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    5. Changed the way cost-benefit analyses are conducted under the Clean Air Act, potentially making it harder to issue new public health and climate protections.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    6. Canceled a requirement for oil and gas companies to report methane emissions.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    7. Revised and partially repealed an Obama-era rule limiting methane emissions on public lands, including intentional venting and flaring from drilling operations. A federal court struck down the revision in July 2020, calling the Trump administration’s reasoning “wholly inadequate” and mandating enforcement of the original rule. However, the Obama-era rule was later partially struck down in a separate court case, during which the Trump administration declined to defend it.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    8. Eliminated Obama-era methane emissions standards for oil and gas facilities and narrowed standards limiting the release of other polluting chemicals known as “volatile organic compounds” to only certain facilities.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    9. Withdrew a Clinton-era rule designed to limit toxic emissions from major industrial polluters, and later proposed codifying the looser standards.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    10. Revised a program designed to safeguard communities from increases in pollution from new power plants to make it easier for facilities to avoid emissions regulations.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    11. Amended rules that govern how refineries monitor pollution in surrounding communities.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    12. Overturned Obama-era guidance meant to reduce emissions during power plant start-ups, shutdowns and malfunctions. As part of the process, the E.P.A. also reversed a requirement that Texas follow emissions rules during certain malfunction events.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    13. Weakened an Obama-era rule meant to reduce air pollution in national parks and wilderness areas.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    14. Weakened oversight of some state plans for reducing air pollution in national parks.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    15. Established a minimum pollution threshold at which the E.P.A. can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources: 3 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. (Power plants meet this threshold, but oil and gas production facilities fall just below it.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    16. Relaxed air pollution regulations for a handful of plants that burn waste coal for electricity.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    17. Repealed rules meant to reduce leaking and venting of powerful greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons from large refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    18. Directed agencies to stop using an Obama-era calculation of the social cost of carbon, which rulemakers used to estimate the long-term economic benefits of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    19. Released new guidance that allows upwind states to contribute more ozone pollution to downwind states than during the Obama-era. (The E.P.A. under Mr. Trump also rejected petitions from a handful of states over failure to address upwind states’ pollution.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    20. Withdrew guidance directing federal agencies to include greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews. But several district courts have ruled that emissions must be included in such reviews.
    Executive Order; Council on Environmental Quality | Read more »
    21. Revoked an Obama executive order that set a goal of cutting the federal government’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent over 10 years.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    22. Repealed a requirement that state and regional authorities track tailpipe emissions from vehicles on federal highways.
    Transportation Department | Read more »
    23. Lifted a summertime ban on the use of E15, a gasoline blend made of 15 percent ethanol. (Burning gasoline with a higher concentration of ethanol in hot conditions increases smog.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    24. Changed rules to allow states and the E.P.A. to take longer to develop and approve plans aimed at cutting methane emissions from existing landfills.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    25. Withdrew a proposed rule aimed at reducing pollutants, including air pollution, at sewage treatment plants.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    26. Threw out most of a proposed policy that would have tightened pollution standards for offshore oil and gas operations and required them to use improved pollution controls.
    Interior | Read more »
    27. Amended Obama-era emissions standards for clay ceramics manufacturers.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    28. Relaxed some Obama-era requirements for companies to monitor and repair leaks at oil and gas facilities, including exempting certain low-production wells – a significant source of methane emissions – from the requirements altogether. (Other leak regulations were eliminated.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    In progress
    29. Proposed revisions to standards for carbon dioxide emissions from new, modified and reconstructed coal power plants, eliminating Obama-era restrictions that, in effect, required them to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    30. Proposed a rule limiting the ability of individuals and communities to challenge E.P.A.-issued pollution permits before a panel of agency judges.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    Drilling and extraction
    Completed
    31. Made significant cuts to the borders of two national monuments in Utah and recommended border and resource-management changes to several more.
    Presidential Proclamation; Interior Department | Read more »
    32. Lifted an Obama-era freeze on new coal leases on public lands. In April 2019, a judge ruled that the Interior Department could not begin selling new leases without completing an environmental review. In February 2020, the agency published an assessment that concluded restarting federal coal leasing would have little environmental impact.
    Executive Order; Interior Department | Read more »
    33. Finalized a plan to allow oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, a move that overturns six decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States. The Trump administration held last-minute lease sales in December, but failed to attract major interest from fossil fuel companies.
    Congress; Interior Department | Read more »
    34. Opened more than 18 million acres of land for drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a vast swath of public land on the Arctic Ocean. The Obama administration had designated about half of the reserve as a conservation area.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    35. Lifted a Clinton-era ban on logging and road construction in Tongass National Forest, Alaska, one of the largest intact temperate rain forests in the world. (The Clinton-era rule applied to much of the national forest system.)
    Interior Department | Read more »
    36. Approved construction of the Dakota Access pipeline, less than a mile from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The Obama administration had halted the project, with the Army Corps of Engineers saying it would explore alternative routes. In 2020, a federal court reversed the Trump administration’s decision to allow the pipeline to run along its current path, but it was allowed to continue operating.
    Executive Order; Army | Read more »
    37. Rescinded water pollution regulations for fracking on federal and Indian lands.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    38. Withdrew a requirement that Gulf oil rig owners prove they can cover the costs of removing rigs once they stop producing.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    39. Moved the permitting process for certain projects that cross international borders, such as oil pipelines, to the office of the president from the State Department, exempting them from environmental review.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    40. Changed how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission considers the indirect effects of greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews of pipelines.
    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | Read more »
    41. Revoked an Obama-era executive order designed to preserve ocean, coastal and Great Lakes waters in favor of a policy focused on energy production and economic growth.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    42. Loosened offshore drilling safety regulations implemented by the Obama after following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, including reduced testing requirements for blowout prevention systems.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    In progress
    43. Proposed opening most of America’s coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling, but delayed the plan after a federal judge in 2019 ruled that reversing a ban on drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans was unlawful. Ahead of the 2020 election, Mr. Trump announced he would exempt from drilling coastal areas around Florida, a crucial battleground state, Georgia and South Carolina.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    44. Approved the Keystone XL pipeline rejected by President Barack Obama, but a federal judge blocked the project from going forward without an adequate environmental review process. The Supreme Court in July 2020 upheld that ruling, further delaying construction of the pipeline.
    Executive Order; State Department | Read more »
    45. Withdrew proposed restrictions on mining in Bristol Bay, Alaska, despite concerns over environmental impacts on salmon habitat, including a prominent fishery. In late 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for one proposed project, known as the Pebble Mine, noting it would “result in significant degradation of the aquatic ecosystem.”
    E.P.A.; Army | Read more »
    46. Proposed easing safety regulations for exploratory offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic that were developed after a 2013 accident.
    Executive Order; Interior Department | Read more »
    47. Proposed weakening a rule that increased royalty payments for oil and gas leases on public lands, bringing them in line with market value. The Obama-era policy updated a 1980s rule that critics said allowed companies to underpay the federal government. An earlier attempt by the Trump administration to reverse the Obama rule was struck down in court, but a separate court ruling exempted the coal industry from the updated pricing policy.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    48. Proposed easing the approval process for oil and gas drilling in national forests by curbing the power of the Forest Service to review and approve leases, among other changes.
    Agriculture Department; Interior Department | Read more »
    49. Approved the use of seismic air guns for gas and oil exploration in the Atlantic Ocean. The Obama administration had denied permits for such surveys, which can kill marine life and disrupt fisheries. However, the Trump administration’s permits to allow seismic surveys expired following a protracted lawsuit, ending the possibility of seismic air gun surveys in the Atlantic in the near term. Companies would need to restart the months-long permitting process.
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
    Infrastructure and planning
    Completed
    50. Weakened the National Environmental Policy Act, one of the country’s most significant environmental laws, in order to expedite the approval of public infrastructure projects, such as roads, pipelines and telecommunications networks. The new rules shorten the time frame for completing environmental studies, limit the types of projects subject to review, and no longer require federal agencies to account for a project's cumulative effects on the environment, such as climate change.
    Council on Environmental Quality | Read more »
    51. Revoked Obama-era flood standards for federal infrastructure projects that required the government to account for sea level rise and other climate change effects.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    52. Relaxed the environmental review process for federal infrastructure projects.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    53. Overturned an Obama-era guidance that ended U.S. government financing for new coal plants overseas except in rare circumstances.
    Executive Order; Treasury Department | Read more »
    54. Revoked a directive for federal agencies to minimize impacts on water, wildlife, land and other natural resources when approving development projects.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    55. Revoked an Obama executive order promoting climate resilience in the northern Bering Sea region of Alaska, which withdrew local waters from oil and gas leasing and established a tribal advisory council to consult on local environmental issues.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    56. Reversed an update to the Bureau of Land Management’s public land-use planning process.
    Congress | Read more »
    57. Withdrew an Obama-era order to consider climate change in the management of natural resources in national parks.
    National Park Service | Read more »
    58. Restricted most Interior Department environmental studies to one year in length and a maximum of 150 pages, citing a need to reduce paperwork.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    59. Withdrew a number of Obama-era Interior Department climate change and conservation policies that the agency said could “burden the development or utilization of domestically produced energy resources.”
    Interior Department | Read more »
    60. Eliminated the use of an Obama-era planning system designed to minimize harm from oil and gas activity on sensitive landscapes, such as national parks.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    61. Withdrew Obama-era policies designed to maintain or, ideally, improve natural resources affected by federal projects.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    62. Revised the environmental review process for Forest Service projects to automatically exempt certain categories of projects, including those under 2,800 acres.
    Agriculture Department | Read more »
    63. Ended environmental impact reviews of natural gas export projects at the Department of Energy.
    Department of Energy | Read more »
    Animals
    Completed
    64. Rolled back a roughly 40-year-old interpretation of a policy aimed at protecting migratory birds. The rule imposed fines and other penalties on companies who accidentally kill birds through their actions, including oil spills and toxic pesticide applications. In August 2020, a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s legal rationale for the regulation, reinstating the protection. But, in January, the administration moved forward with a final rule anyway.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    65. Cut critical habitat for the northern spotted owl by more than three million acres in Washington state, Oregon and Northern California, opening up the land to timber harvesting.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    66. Changed the way the Endangered Species Act is applied, making it more difficult to protect wildlife from long-term threats posed by climate change.
    Interior Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
    67. Weakened critical habitat protections under the Endangered Species Act by making it easier to exclude certain areas, including for public-works projects such as schools and hospitals, and for public lands leased to non-government businesses.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    68. Ended the automatic application of full protections for ‘threatened’ plants and animals, the classification one step below ‘endangered’ in the Endangered Species Act.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    69. Relaxed environmental protections for salmon and smelt in California’s Central Valley in order to free up water for farmers.
    Executive Order; Interior Department | Read more »
    70. Removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    71. Overturned a ban on the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    72. Overturned a ban on the hunting of predators in Alaskan wildlife refuges.
    Congress | Read more »
    73. Reversed an Obama-era rule that barred using bait, such as grease-soaked doughnuts, to lure and kill grizzly bears, among other sport hunting practices that many people consider extreme, on some public lands in Alaska.
    National Park Service; Interior Department | Read more »
    74. Amended fishing regulations to loosen restrictions on the harvest of a number of species.
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
    75. Removed restrictions on commercial fishing in a protected marine preserve southeast of Cape Cod that is home to rare corals and a number of endangered sea animals. The Trump administration suggested changing the management or size of two other marine protected areas in the Pacific Ocean.
    Executive Order; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
    76. Proposed revising limits on the number of endangered marine mammals and sea turtles that can be unintentionally killed or injured with sword-fishing nets on the West Coast. (The Obama-era rules were initially withdrawn by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but were later finalized following a court order. The agency said it planned to revise the limits.)
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
    77. Loosened fishing restrictions intended to reduce bycatch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Nonprofits have filed a lawsuit challenging the rollback.
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Read more »
    78. Overturned a ban on using parts of migratory birds in handicrafts made by Alaskan Natives.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    In progress
    79. Opened nine million acres of Western land to oil and gas drilling by weakening habitat protections for the sage grouse, an imperiled bird. A federal judge in Idaho temporarily blocked the measure, arguing the Bureau of Land Management failed to carry out an adequate environmental review for the proposal. A Montana court nullified 440 oil and gas leases in greater sage-grouse habitat, but later put the ruling on hold pending appeal. In a push to finalize the rollback before Mr. Trump leaves office, the Bureau published revised environmental impact statements in late 2020 and requested that lease sales be upheld by the Montana court.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    Water pollution
    Completed
    80. Scaled back pollution protections for certain tributaries and wetlands that were regulated under the Clean Water Act by the Obama administration. (A federal judge in Colorado halted implementation of the rule within the state, but it is in effect elsewhere.)
    E.P.A.; Army | Read more »
    81. Revoked a rule that prevented coal companies from dumping mining debris into local streams.
    Congress | Read more »
    82. Weakened a rule that aimed to limit toxic discharge from power plants into public waterways.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    83. Doubled the time allowed for utilities to remove lead pipes from water systems with high levels of lead.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    84. Weakened a portion of the Clean Water Act to make it easier for federal agencies to issue permits for federal projects over state objections if the projects don’t meet local water quality standards, including for pipelines and other fossil fuel facilities.
    Executive Order; E.P.A. | Read more »
    85. Extended the lifespan of unlined holding ponds for coal ash waste from power plants, which can spill their contents because they lack a protective underlay.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    86. Allowed certain unlined coal ash holding areas to continue operating, though they were previously deemed unsafe.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    87. Withdrew a proposed rule requiring groundwater protections for certain uranium mines. Recently, the administration’s Nuclear Fuel Working Group proposed opening up 1,500 acres outside the Grand Canyon to nuclear production.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    In progress
    88. Proposed a regulation limiting the scope of an Obama-era rule under which companies had to prove that large deposits of recycled coal ash would not harm the environment.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    Toxic substances and safety
    Completed
    89. Rejected a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to developmental disabilities in children. In 2020, the E.P.A. also rejected its own earlier finding that the pesticide can cause serious health problems, though it later recommended some label changes and usage restrictions. (Several states have banned use of the pesticide and its main manufacturer said it would stop producing the product because of shrinking demand.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    90. Declined to require that certain industries — including electric power, petroleum, coal products manufacturing and chemical manufacturing — have enough funds to cover major spills and accidents. (The Obama administration was planning to develop such requirements.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    91. Declined to issue a proposed rule that required the hardrock mining industry to prove it could pay to clean up future pollution.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    92. Narrowed the scope of a 2016 law mandating safety assessments for potentially toxic chemicals like dry-cleaning solvents. The updated rules allowed the E.P.A. to exclude some chemical uses and types of exposure in the review process. In November 2019, a court of appeals ruled the agency must widen its scope to consider full exposure risks, but watchdog groups say it did not do so in some assessments.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    93. Reversed an Obama-era rule that required braking system upgrades for “high hazard” trains hauling flammable liquids like oil and ethanol.
    Transportation Department | Read more »
    94. Changed safety rules to allow for rail transport of highly flammable liquefied natural gas.
    Transportation Department | Read more »
    95. Rolled back most of the requirements of a 2017 rule aimed at improving safety at sites that use hazardous chemicals that was instituted after a chemical plant exploded in Texas.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    96. Narrowed pesticide application buffer zones that are intended to protect farmworkers and bystanders from accidental exposure.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    97. Removed copper filter cake, an electronics manufacturing byproduct comprised of heavy metals, from the “hazardous waste” list.
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    In progress
    98. Announced a review of an Obama-era rule lowering coal dust limits in mines. The head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration said there were no immediate plans to change the dust limit but extended a public comment period until 2022.
    Labor Department | Read more »
    Other
    Completed
    99. Limited the scientific and medical research the E.P.A. can use to determine public health regulations, de-emphasizing studies that do not make their underlying data publicly available. (Scientists widely criticized the proposal, saying it would effectively block the agency from considering landmark research that relies on confidential health data.)
    E.P.A. | Read more »
    100. Limited funding of environmental and community development projects through corporate settlements of federal lawsuits.
    Justice Department | Read more »
    101. Repealed an Obama-era regulation that would have nearly doubled the number of light bulbs subject to energy-efficiency standards starting in January 2020. The Energy Department also blocked the next phase of efficiency standards for general-purpose bulbs already subject to regulation.
    Energy Department | Read more »
    102. Weakened dishwasher energy efficiency standards by exempting fast-cleaning machines from decades-old rules.
    Energy Department | Read more »
    103. Loosened water and efficiency standards for showerheads and washers and dryers.
    Energy Department | Read more »
    104. Changed the process for how the government sets energy efficiency standards for appliances and other equipment. The new rules set an “energy savings threshold” for regulations (which environmental groups say is too high) and allow industries to set their own test procedures.
    Energy Department | Read more »
    105. Withdrew proposed Obama-era efficiency standards for residential furnaces and commercial water heaters that were designed to reduce energy use.
    Energy Department | Read more »
    106. Made it easier for appliance manufacturers to get a temporary exemption from federal energy efficiency test procedure requirements.
    Energy Department | Read more »
    107. Finalized a rule that limits 401(k) retirement plans from investing in funds that focus on the environment. The Obama administration had issued guidance to encourage investing in environmentally- and socially-focused funds as long as they were competitive investments.
    Labor Department | Read more »
    108. Changed a 25-year-old policy to allow coastal replenishment projects to use sand from protected ecosystems.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    109. Stopped payments to the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations program to help poorer countries reduce carbon emissions.
    Executive Order | Read more »
    110. Reversed restrictions on the sale of plastic water bottles in national parks designed to cut down on litter, despite a Park Service report that the effort worked.
    Interior Department | Read more »
    In progress
    111. Froze civil penalties for companies that violate fuel efficiency standards at $5.50 for every 10th of a mile per gallon over the standards. (They were slated to increase to $14 for every 10th of a mile per gallon in model year 2019.) A federal court reinstated the higher penalty, but the Trump administration continued to delay its implementation.
    Transportation Department | Read more »
    112. Initially withdrew, and then delayed, a proposed rule that would inform car owners about fuel-efficient replacement tires.
    Transportation Department | Read more »
    Some rules were rolled back, then reinstated
    These rules were initially reversed by the Trump administration but were later reinstated, often following lawsuits and other challenges.
    1. Repealed the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would have set strict limits on carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, and replaced it with a new version that would let states set their own rules. In the final days of Mr. Trump’s term, a federal appeals court struck down the repeal and replacement plan, arguing that the agency “fundamentally” misinterpreted its own legal obligations to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act. The court directed the E.P.A. to start over with a new approach.
    Executive Order; E.P.A. | Read more
    2. Delayed issuing rules that regulate greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft, which would have echoed standards adopted by the international airline industry four years ago. The delay was challenged by environmental groups, and the rule — which critics say is far too weak today — was put forward in December 2020.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    3. Stopped enforcing a 2015 rule that prohibited the use of hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gases, in air-conditioners and refrigerators. A court later partially restored the prohibition and Congress agreed to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons in a 2020 year-end budget bill.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    4. Ended an Occupational Safety and Health Administration program to reduce risks of workers developing the lung disease silicosis by making it easier to conduct proactive workplace inspections. The administration delayed issuing a revised program for two and a half years, until February 2020.
    Labor Department | Read more
    5. Sought to repeal emissions standards for “glider” trucks — vehicles retrofitted with older, often dirtier engines — but reversed course after Andrew Wheeler took over from Scott Pruitt as head of the E.P.A.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    6. Delayed a compliance deadline for new national ozone pollution standards by one year, but later reversed course.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    7. Delayed implementation of a rule regulating the certification and training of pesticide applicators, but a judge ruled that the E.P.A. had done so illegally and declared the rule still in effect.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    8. Initially delayed publishing efficiency standards for household appliances, but later published them after multiple states and environmental groups sued.
    Energy Department | Read more
    9. Removed the Yellowstone grizzly bear from the Endangered Species List, but the protections were later reinstated by a federal judge. (The Trump administration appealed the ruling in May 2019.)
    Interior Department | Read more
    10. Reissued a rule limiting the discharge of mercury by dental offices into municipal sewers after a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    11. Delayed federal building efficiency standards until Sept. 30, 2017, at which time the rules went into effect.
    Energy Department | Read more
    12. Ordered a review of water efficiency standards in bathroom fixtures, including toilets. E.P.A. determined existing standards were sufficient.
    E.P.A. | Read more
    Note: This list does not include new rules proposed by the Trump administration that do not roll back previous policies, nor does it include court actions that have affected environmental policies independent of executive or legislative action.
    Sources: Harvard Law School’s Environmental Regulation Rollback Tracker; Columbia Law School’s Climate Deregulation Tracker; Brookings Institution; Federal Register; Environmental Protection Agency; Interior Department; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; White House.

    This message is a reply to:
     Message 56 by Phat, posted 02-25-2023 9:51 AM Phat has seen this message but not replied

    Replies to this message:
     Message 61 by Tanypteryx, posted 02-25-2023 2:47 PM jar has replied
     Message 66 by xongsmith, posted 02-25-2023 6:44 PM jar has replied

      
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