Much of the criticism of the Trump administration’s environmental policies has focused on the limitations placed on environmental programs established or enhanced during the Obama administration. Characterizing climate change as a hoax and regulations as the enemy of economic prosperity, the current administration relaxed environmental standards, narrowed the reach of environmental regulations and Clean Water Act jurisdiction, prioritized compliance assistance over enforcement, and leased federal lands for oil and gas exploration. Although most environmental practitioners would agree that streamlining and improving environmental requirements is a worthwhile goal, some of the changes made by the Trump administration are widely regarded as a retreat from the environmental progress our nation has achieved.

Changes are afoot. President-Elect Joe Biden intends to undo most of the environmental actions of his predecessor, and also focus federal agencies on integrating greenhouse gas reductions, energy efficiency and protection of disadvantaged communities into their programs and activities. If successful, this initiative would transform the U.S. economy by substituting renewable sources of energy for fossil fuels and dramatically increasing the efficiency of motor vehicles, buildings and other energy users. Given the ambitious goal of creating a low- or zero- emission economy, the legal and political challenges are enormous.

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