Defense of Paris. Since Trump decided to withdraw without honor from the Paris Climate Agreement, over 1,400 governors, mayors, businesses, attorneys general, investors, and colleges and universities joined an open letter to the international community, declaring their support for the agreement. In a tandem effort, Michael Bloomberg submitted a letter to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) saying he will "work with U.S. subnational and non-state actors over the coming months" to quantify these aggregate actions, which constitute "America's Pledge" to the world in fulfilling our responsibility to lead the world in reducing emissions. In addition, a bipartisan group of 12 states and Puerto Rico have joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, which is committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement within their borders by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 — the original U.S. commitment.

Fact from fiction. U.S. Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt inaccurately claimed that the United States has added over 50,000 coal and mining jobs since April. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are only about 50,000 total jobs in coal, with 400 added since April. There was a gain of 6,600 job in mining in that period, but most of those jobs "support activities for mining."

Hazy outlook. EPA Administrator Pruitt extended the deadline by one year for states to comply with the ground-level ozone regulation. Ground-level ozone is a pollutant emitted from vehicles and power plants, and has been linked to worsened emphysema symptoms, and an increased likelihood of asthma attacks. To protect public health, EPA strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone in 2015. The EPA generally has two years after a new ground-level standard is issued to determine areas as meeting or not meeting the standard. Pruitt's delay conflicts with EPA's legal requirements under the Clean Air Act. Moreover, this move is just another series of steps taken by the Trump administration to rollback protection for clean air and water.

Undoing the Clean Power Plan. EPA has sent its proposed review of the Clean Power Plan to the Office of Management and Budget. This is the last step before the draft rule is made public. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the the draft before EPA finalizes the rule. The notice gives no details on the proposed review, but it will likely rescind the Obama-era rule regulating carbon pollution from power plants.

Go the way of the sage grouse? Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke signed a 60-day review of the Department of Interior (DOI) plan to protect the sage grouse. This review might unravel the 2015 Obama Administration plan, which took years to negotiate with state and local governments, scientists, ranchers, and other stakeholders. As part of the review, DOI will evaluate both federal sage-grouse plans and state plans to ensure they are complementary, and also consider local economic growth and job creation. The sage grouse once numbered in the millions and roamed large parts of the western United States and Canada. Today, there are about 200,000 to 500,000 birds remaining.

What you can do

• Add your name to the list of Americans who, along with 194 countries across the world, are committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• Tell your local officials to join the other 90 U.S. mayors who committed to 100 percent clean or renewable energy.
• DOI has extended the comment period for the Bears Ears National Monument to July 10, 2017. Please submit comments!