Trump’s Team Just Said Pollution Costs Nothing

In a move that’s sparked outrage among scientists and environmental advocates, the Trump administration has ordered federal agencies to stop factoring in the economic damage caused by Climate change when crafting new policies—unless explicitly required by law. According to The New York Times’ Lisa Friedman, this change effectively eliminates the use of the “social cost of carbon,” a key metric used by governments to estimate the economic toll of emitting greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Under previous administrations, this cost played a huge role in environmental rulemaking. For example, the Obama administration estimated the damage at $42 per ton of carbon. The Biden administration later raised it to $190 per ton, accounting for inflation and updated science. But Trump’s team has tossed out those calculations altogether. In a memo, Jeffrey B. Clark, the acting White House regulatory chief, claimed there’s too much “uncertainty” in whether Climate change is even caused by human emissions.

Experts aren’t buying it. “By effectively saying the social cost of carbon should be treated as zero, this policy arbitrarily and capriciously ignores the science and economics of climate change,” said Rutgers climate scientist Robert E. Kopp. Michael Greenstone, the economist who helped create the metric, warned this shift means “feelings, not facts” will now guide federal policy.

Without this key tool, it becomes much harder to justify regulations that limit emissions from polluting industries. It’s a gift to fossil fuel lobbyists—and a slap in the face to communities already bearing the brunt of fires, floods, and droughts linked to global warming.

Let’s be clear: pretending Pollution is free doesn’t make it so. It only protects polluters. Speak out. Support leaders who take climate science seriously. Choose plant-based foods. Ditch fossil fuels when you can. Our future depends on it.

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