By Paul Roberts / For The Herald
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the New York Times sponsored its annual “Climate Forward” forum. The forum is a day-long event interviewing world leaders, scientists and activists who represent a diverse set of perspectives on climate change.
While the forum was underway, Hurricane Helene hit the Southeastern U.S. More on that later.
This year’s forum included an interview with Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts speaking about Project 2025, a wish list of what its advisers would advance if Trump becomes president. Roberts was interviewed by Times’ journalist David Gelles. During the interview Roberts said: “Climate change is ending the American dream” and it represents the “politicization of the federal government.”
Times’ journalist Coral Davenport reported that Roberts blasted the Biden administration’s climate policies and downplayed the consistent rise in average global temperatures that has triggered more severe drought, heat waves, floods and storms; including atmospheric rivers and hurricanes.
“It sounds like weather to me, a hot year,” Roberts replied.
Project 2025 would weaken pollution controls and regulations. It would undo many of the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, the most progressive climate legislation ever passed. It would have the U.S. withdraw from the Paris agreements as former President Trump tried to do. And it would scale back climate resources, weaken the Clean Air Act and promote fossil fuel drilling.
Project 2025 would replace career government workers and scientists with political appointees loyal to the Trump administration and get rid of the scientific advisory boards that offer expertise to federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency. When asked about these proposals Roberts said a Trump administration would end “the politicized agenda they have used to be a cudgel against the American people.”
Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025 and the negative press it has received. Roberts called Project 2025 a policy document, denying the project was political, though 31 of the 38 authors were top advisers to Trump during his term, and many would likely serve in prominent roles if he were reelected.
The climate section was written by Mandy Gunasekara, former EPA chief of staff in the Trump administration. In an August NPR interview Gunasekara said: “A lot of the rhetoric that the public sees and experiences is based on a picture that’s not consistent with what we’ve seen with observed climate data, and that the forecasts actually suggest a mild and manageable climate change in the future.”
Gunasekara was asked to name the scientists she had consulted to conclude the outlook was “mild and manageable.” She said she had heard from numerous scientists but would not name them. When pressed she said: “We value their contributions and also respect their desire to provide this guidance in confidence.” Neither Roberts nor Gunasekara offered any scientific studies or evidence to support the recommendations in Project 2025.
While the forum was underway, nature was providing convincing evidence that climate change will not be mild nor manageable. From Sept. 24 to Sept. 26 Hurricane Helene slammed into the Southeastern U.S. causing significant death, destruction, flooding and power outages across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Helene was among the most deadly, destructive and expensive hurricanes in the nation’s history. More than 200 died; at least 100 people still are unaccounted for. It was the third hurricane to hit Florida’s Big Bend region since August 2023, and was followed by Hurricane Milton just two weeks later.
Project 2025 is a thinly veiled political document meant to serve Trump if he is reelected. It represents willful ignorance of recognized science and economics. It was written by people who served under Trump and remain in his orbit. It presumes that reality is an activity of the imagination. It is policy alchemy. In promoting Project 2025 the Heritage Foundation has engaged in projection, accusing opponents of the very sins they are guilty of: politicizing climate change.
Helene and Milton teach us that the laws of science and physics are self-enforcing and the environment and economy are mutually dependent. Communities once thought to be safe havens from climate-events such as Asheville, N.C., are not. Climate change has exposed vulnerabilities, showing us that nowhere is truly safe.
In this election, voters have an opportunity to let their voices be heard. It is an opportunity to elect leaders who will reject Project 2025 and support meaningful policies for a clean energy economy, including rejecting Initiative 2117 in Washington state. Now is the time for action.
Paul Roberts is retired and lives in Everett. His career spans over five decades in infrastructure, economics and environmental policy including advising Washington cities on climate change and past Chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board of Directors.
Eco-nomics
“Eco-nomics” is a series of articles exploring issues at the intersection of climate change and economics. Climate change (global warming) is caused by greenhouse gas emissions — carbon dioxide and methane chiefly — generated by human activities, primarily burning fossil fuels and agricultural practices. Global warming poses an existential threat to the planet. Successfully responding to this threat requires urgent actions — clear plans and actionable strategies — to rapidly reduce GHG emissions and adapt to climate-influenced events.
The Eco-nomics series focuses on mitigation and adaptation strategies viewed through the twin perspectives of science and economics. Find links to the series thus far at tinyurl.com/HeraldEco-nomics.
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