What do you do when you can’t debunk the science supporting climate change? You gut the funding that supports the research.
Multiple news outlets are reporting that the Trump administration’s preliminary budget figures will cut hundreds of millions in research funding for the EPA and other climate related agencies.
The Trump administration has already taken steps by way of executive orders to roll back regulations combating the manmade effects on climate change. Clearly the next step is to gut the funding that supports the scientific research.
Annual funding for climate change research currently stands at roughly $12 billion dollars. The Trump administration would prefer to use the bulk of those funds for rebuilding infrastructure and expanding the military.
Rebuilding the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and keeping the country safe are noteworthy goals. Should they be achieved at the expense of turning the planet into an uninhabitable wasteland?
I don’t mean to be hyperbolic but we already have evidence of what is in store for us should we bury our heads in the sand.
The United States stands as the world leader in researching global warming and the impact man has on climate change. We don’t need to guess what the world will look like if we give up that leadership role. One need only look at the quality of life in China and India to see the real life impact of denying the science. India now leads China in the deadly race for most ozone related premature deaths; over 1.1 million in 2015.
The Trump administration is leading us down a very dark path. The fulfillment of a short sighted campaign promise will have dire long-term consequences.
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