Midnight for Paris II.
Trump administration officials delayed a meeting to discuss whether the United States should remain in the Paris Agreement that had been planned for May 9th. The decision may hinge on Article 4.11 of the agreement which states that a nation "may at any time adjust its existing [emission reduce pledge] with a view to enhancing its level of ambition." Critics of the agreement have argued that the United States cannot reduce its "level of ambition" and that pro-climate advocates would use remaining in the Paris Agreement as an argument in court when fighting the administration's efforts to undo climate regulations. Almost all experts agree that the Paris Agreement imposes few legal obligations on the United States. However, a new leaked internal memo from the State Department's legal office outlines legal justification for the United States to exit the Agreement. Reports of the White House seesawing on the Paris Agreement has increased outreach efforts by pro-Paris businesses and supporters to administration officials, such as Gary Cohn, the Director of the President's National Economic Council. Businesses have made the case that staying in the agreement will help create jobs, improve U.S. competitiveness, and reduce business risks. European Union officials are also scrambling to persuade President Trump not to pull out of the agreement.
Leaving the Paris agreement would weaken the United States' leadership on the international stage and potentially encourage other countries to renege on their commitments. Moreover, the United States could better influence the design and implementation of the climate accord as a party to the Agreement than it could as an outsider.
In an interview with Fox Business's "Varney & Co.," EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Paris Agreement was a bad deal for the United States because of the emission reduction commitments and the compliance costs. However, the emission reduction commitments made by President Obama are not binding and there are no compliance costs for being a signatory to the agreement. Pruitt also argued that fuel diversity is important for the reliability of the electricity grid and pointed to how coal could safeguard the grid against cyber attacks against natural gas. In reality, the benefits of a diversified electricity portfolio (i.e., one that includes renewable energy) stem from reducing dependency on fossil fuels to lessen the country's vulnerability to temporary fossil fuel disruptions and associated price spikes.
Trump open to gas tax.
Trump said he is open to the idea of raising the gas tax to fund infrastructure projects (White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that this was not in fact the President's official position). The federal tax of 18.4 cents on gasoline was last raised in 1993. In the last 24 years, revenues from the tax have declined due to inflation and improved vehicle fuel economy. Revenues from the tax are used to fund the federal Highway Trust Fund, and without an increase in revenue, the fund is projected to become insolvent by 2021. Raising the gas tax is the simplest way to resolve the issue.
Interior's offshore energy and monumental actions.
In response to the administration's executive order on expanding offshore oil and gas development, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed an order implementing an "America-first offshore energy strategy," which directs the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to develop a new five-year offshore leasing program for Alaska, the mid- and south-Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the Department of Interior announced a comment period for the public to weigh in on national monument designations (starting May 12), and listed over 20 monuments — over 11 million acres — under review.
Personnel.
President Trump nominated David Bernhardt to be the next Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt ran the Interior transition team, was an Interior appointee under George W. Bush, and is currently a lawyer representing a range of clients in the "natural resource" field. He is an avid hunter, as evident in the picture included on the Department of Interior's post about his nomination. In addition, President Trump appointed Dan Simmons to be the head the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Simmons previously was the vice president of the Institute for Energy Research, a "free-market" think tank funded largely by fossil fuel interests.
Things you can do
This week is Public Servant Recognition Week and grassroots organizing groups across the country are showing their support for the EPA. Come out to one of the events around the country this week:
Thursday, May 11th Events:
· 11:30 AM MT, EPA Region 8 HQ, 1595 Wynkoop St.
· 11:30 AM CT, EPA Region 5 HQ
· 11:30 AM ET, EPA Region 3 HQ, 1650 Arch St.
Boston, MA
· 11:45 AM ET, EPA Region 1 Office, 5 Post Office Square
Dallas, TX
· 11:45 AM CT, EPA Region 6 Office, Fountain Place, 1445 Ross Ave
San Francisco, CA
· 11:30 AM PT, EPA Region 9 Office, 75 Hawthorne Street
Friday, May 12th Event
· 11:30 AM ET, EPA HQ, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.