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Trump's quiet war on data begins
Two months into the Trump presidency, there's still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the new administration. One big area of concern is how the executive branch will deal with the vast amounts of data collected by the government. Federal agencies like NASA and EPA conduct countless studies crucial to understanding our impact on climate change. Labor Department surveys are vital to determining the economic health of the country. Will the administration manipulate data that contradicts its political views? Will information become a tool of oppression? Turns out there's a simpler, but potentially just as troublesome possibility: The White House could simply make it disappear.
What Trump's budget would mean for NASA and climate change
President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget beefs up the Defense Department while removing funds from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, NASA and many other government agencies. Congress still has to pass the budget, but if it's approved it will shut down a handful of programs designed to research and combat climate change. Despite overwhelming consensus in the scientific community, multiple members of the Trump administration have argued that climate change is not a man-made occurrence, including new EPA head Scott Pruitt. So, it's not surprising that Trump's proposed budget slashes climate change research programs and funding -- but it is concerning.
Trump to sign sweeping rollback of Obama-era climate change rules
Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order that will dramatically reduce the role that climate change has in governmental decision-making. The order could impact everything from energy policy to appliance standards.
EPA head suggests CO2 isn't a 'primary contributor' to climate change
If you want a good example of why American environmental scientists are in such a state of despair these days, you just got it. When asked by CNBC whether or not he thought carbon dioxide was the "primary control knob" for global warming, new EPA chief Scott Pruitt suggested that it wasn't a "primary contributor." The answer is a bit fuzzy (it's merged with a broader attempt to cast doubt on the human role in climate change), but it's still far from flattering -- either he's trying to downplay basic climate science for the sake of his fossil fuel industry friends, or he genuinely doesn't know how it works.
Trump's EPA proposal cuts funding for climate change, pollution programs
Ever since the election, we've been wondering what the new presidential administration has in store for environmental programs, and the proposed new EPA budget may provide answers. First, the Washington Post reported the proposal would cut EPA staff by one fifth in the first year and eliminate dozens of programs.
Emails show new EPA chief is cozy with the fossil fuel industry
There's no question that new Environmental Protection Agency leader Scott Pruitt has a conflict of interest when he previously declared himself the agency's number one enemy. However, it's now clearer just why he so fervently opposes eco-friendly regulation. The Center for Media and Democracy has used a court order to obtain emails from Pruitt's time as Oklahoma's attorney general, and they reveal an uncomfortably close relationship with the fossil fuel industry he's now supposed to regulate.
Who is Scott Pruitt, the new EPA head?
On Friday, the US Senate voted 52–48 to confirm Scott Pruitt as the 14th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. His nomination and subsequent confirmation surprised many political pundits, given that the former Oklahoma attorney general has long waged legal battles against the federal agency that he now heads.
Climate change skeptic Scott Pruitt confirmed as EPA Administrator
Immediately after his inauguration, President Trump got to work on his long-anticipated plan to gut the Environmental Protection Agency. His administration wants to review all research coming out of it on a "case by case" basis and placed a gag order on employees, but waited on more until the agency's new chief made it through the Congressional gauntlet. Despite heavy opposition from Democrats and workers from the department he'd be heading, the Senate confirmed climate change skeptic Scott Pruitt as administrator of the EPA today.
A version of the pre-Trump EPA website is online
Longing for a time when the White House didn't actively deny the effects humans were having on climate change? You aren't alone. Following the sweeping changes made on Inauguration Day this year, at least three Freedom of Information Act requests were made (per Gizmodo) to bring a pre-Trump-presidency version of the Environmental Protection Agency's website online.
Republicans call for investigation into EPA use of encrypted chats
Earlier in February, Politico reported that US government workers (particularly at the EPA) were using encrypted chat apps like Signal to express dissent against President Trump's policies without the threat of retaliation. Well, House Republicans Darin LaHood and Lamar Smith aren't happy about that secrecy... and they're demanding action. The two have sent a letter to the EPA's independent overseer, the Inspector General, asking for an investigation into the claims. They're concerned that the encrypted conversations "run afoul" of government record-keeping rules and prevent the government from monitoring their on-the-job communications.
Toyota's 10 millionth hybrid sale hints at a greener future
Toyota announced that as of January 31, it has sold over 10 million hybrid cars. Business has been strong in recent months, as one million of those sales have come since the end of April 2016.
Car makers ask Trump to revisit fuel efficiency rules
Car companies operating in the US are required to meet stringent fuel efficiency standards (a fleet average of 54.5MPG) through 2025, but they're hoping to loosen things now that President Trump is in town. Leaders from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and VW have sent a letter to Trump asking him to rethink the Obama administration's choice to lock in efficiency guidelines for the next several years. The car makers want to revisit the midterm review for the 2025 commitment in hopes of loosening the demands. They claim that the tougher requirements raise costs, don't match public buying habits and will supposedly put "as many a million" jobs up in the air.
Trump's first week: An affront to the web and science
For those who opposed Donald Trump's ascension to the White House, the first week of his presidency confirmed a number of fears. Many of Trump's perceived worst characteristics were on full display. He openly lied about crowd sizes at his inauguration, made his baseless accusations of mass voter fraud a matter of federal investigation and laced his inauguration speech with nationalist overtones. Work began on two of the big initiatives Trump focused on in his campaign: dismantling the Affordable Care Act and building a wall on the Mexico border. The week also featured major moves relating to issues that we focus on here at Engadget: The new administration's disregard of climate change and the environment was on full display, and a major foe of net neutrality is now leading the FCC.
EPA lifts grant freeze, gag order remains in place
The Environmental Protection Agency has lifted the freeze on grant money and contract operations that set off alarm bells in Congress earlier this week. Although the EPA will now be allowed to resume sending money to state-run environmental protection programs, the Trump Administration's gag order will remain in place. The EPA's official public-facing stance on climate change is also still flux.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 26: The Sounds of Science
Managing editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Nathan Ingraham join host Terrence O'Brien on the latest episode. First Dana and Nathan face off in the latest installment of Flame Wars, tackling the latest news around Google Voice, struggling streaming service Tidal and the Note 7. Then all three will try to unravel the first week of Donald Trump's presidency and what it means for science in particular.
Agriculture Department lifts USDA gag order after public outcry
That didn't last long. Less than a day after the US Department of Agriculture issued an internal memo dictating that its main research division "not release any public-facing documents" the agency has rescinded that order, according to emails obtained by Buzzfeed.
Trump's plans for the EPA will stifle scientific research
Donald Trump's war against the environment continues. Yesterday the administration froze all grants and contracts at the EPA. It also barred the agency from sharing information with the public and the press as well as remove all references to climate change from its website. Now, NPR (which is also on the president's chopping block) reports that the administration plans to review any research coming out of the EPA on a "case by case" basis. This would effectively turn the White House into a gatekeeper standing between the EPA's research and the taxpaying public who fund it.
Reuters: Trump admin telling EPA to pull climate change info (updated)
Despite a gag order, Environmental Protection Agency employees are talking to Reuters, informing the outlet that their bosses have been instructed to remove this page from its website (Archive.org). On the official White House website, a page devoted to climate change is now only accessible in its archives, and the EPA section could meet a similar fate. Currently, the webpage displays the effects scientists have already recorded (like 2016 being the hottest year on record), and government initiatives trying to combat the issue.
National park tweets, then deletes, climate data after gag order
In the five days since he took office, President Trump has ordered multiple federal agencies to stop sharing news and updates directly with the American public. The gag orders have silenced federal entities like the EPA and the USDA by preventing them from announcing everything from grant awards to scientific breakthroughs made with taxpayer funds. But at least one person with the password to Badlands National Park's Twitter account attempted to take a stand today by tweeting out facts in the face of President Trump and his science-denying pick to lead the EPA.
Trump administration freezes grants and contracts at the EPA (updated)
Donald Trump's administration has frozen all grants and contract operations at the Environmental Protection Agency, ProPublica reports. The freeze could disrupt critical, ongoing projects such as toxic cleanups and water quality testing, and it may impact the EPA's budget allocations. The EPA currently has $6.4 billion worth of federal contracts, which it uses to organize clean-up and testing services across the country. It's unclear how long the freeze will be in place or whether it will impact only new grants.
