Allies 2 Earth

     Amidst the tumultuous political climate our country is currently experiencing, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds itself caught in the middle of a few prominent legal battles involving the Clean Air Act (CCA). According to the agency, the CCA “defines EPA’s responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation’s air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer.” One notable case is the EPA v. Diamond Alternative Energy lawsuit, which arose from a dispute over whether or not it is legal for the EPA to—through the CCA—grant California the ability to set state-specific emission standards for their vehicles. Case Background      The situation began in 2012 when California applied for a waiver to implement a state-wide policy known as the Advanced Clean Cars Program (ACCP) (Oyez). This program is an extension of the CCA and allows the state to set emission standards for their vehicles that are stricter than federal standards...

     After only a few days, President Donald Trump's second term has already brought about a slew of changes, many of which are highlighted in the whopping 26 executive orders he signed on January 20th. Quite a few of the orders will impact the environment, and substantial changes can be expected in energy production, automobile emission regulations, climate change, and more.  Looking back…      In addition to the initial actions taken during his second term, Trump’s chaotic first term provides an example of the environmental deregulation that can be expected over the next four years. Between 2017 and 2021, he rolled back over 100 environmental rules, including the Clean Power Plan, Endangered Species Act, and more (Nadja et al.). On top of that, he withdrew the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement and decreased the size and authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Gibbens).      Trump’...