one green planet
one green planet

The Trump Administration has not slowed down its rollback of environmental legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency continues to gut the legislation and according to the New York Times, 100 environmental rules have been reversed during the administration. Trump’s government is also using coronavirus as a means to reduce existing environmental legislation.

We reported on a Harvard study released in April that showed the connection between pollution and coronavirus. The study found that there were more coronavirus cases in areas with higher air pollution. An EPA spokesperson disputed the study, saying the authors “miscalculated our guidance” on areas with high air pollution.

The Trump Administration also announced that it would suspend enforcement of environmental laws for companies so they don’t need to worry about them during the coronavirus outbreak. No timeline was given on the rollback of these policies and the agency said it wouldn’t “seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations.” These monitoring and reporting obligations include companies‘ actions on wastewater and air pollution, among others.

The administration is also taking swipes at policy unrelated to the coronavirus. The EPA lowered fuel economy and emissions standards for automobiles in March. It was described as the “largest deregulatory initiative of this administration,” by the automotive industry. Environmentalists warned it would increase pollution level and greenhouse gas emissions. This means cars are allowed to be made with fewer mile-per-gallon requirements and industry has no reason not to make vehicles that are considered “gas guzzlers,” with low miles per gallon.

The rollbacks include policies on drilling, air pollution, animals, toxic substances and water pollution.

Cynthia Giles, head of EPA’s Office of Enforcement during the Obama administration called it, ” This EPA statement is essentially a nationwide waiver of environmental rules for the indefinite future. It tells companies across the country that they will not face enforcement even if they emit unlawful air and water pollution in violation of environmental laws, so long as they claim that those failures are in some way ’caused’ by the virus pandemic. And it allows them an out on monitoring too, so we may never know how bad the violating pollution was.”

Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

Scientists believe that the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus, started at an exotic animal market in Wuhan, China. You can help stop the incidence of viruses like these by signing this petition to ban the wildlife trade.

This is a good time to reconsider our intake of animal products to stay healthy. Eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

Interested in joining the dairy-free and meatless train? We highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Catch up on our latest coronavirus coverage in One Green Planet, check out these articles:

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