Trump Battles California Emission Standards

Andrew de Koeyer | Writer

November 8, 2019

California has always been on the leading edge for environmental change and awareness. The state’s long history of progressive environmental laws has set out to achieve safer conditions for the state’s residents and to combat the ominous threat of climate change.

On the other hand, the Trump Administration has attempted to do the exact opposite since day one. They have made major steps to cut environmental regulations favoring the business interests of big companies and therefore, endangering the health and future of the nation’s citizens. So it was no surprise that the state of California and the federal government clashed this past month on automotive emission standards. 

The state of California set out to require all car manufacturers to average at least 50 miles per gallon by 2026. This ambitious goal was already accepted by some of the top manufacturers including Honda and Kia; however, the administration, in a bold move, barred the ability for California to set its own standards when it comes to fuel economy. The President claims that California must comply with the new federal standard of 37 miles per gallon. 

The President has claimed that by lowering emission standards manufactures will produce safer and more affordable vehicles. In one tweet, the President said, “without this alternative to California, [car manufacturers] will go out of business.” This public threat has caused some companies such as GM and Toyota to recently side with the administration. This, however, comes as no surprise as the companies that have sided with the administration happen to be the biggest polluters. The statistics are certainly no coincidence as manufacturers are not willing to invest in their future, and the nations future, to emit less harmful carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

This news is just one of many cases on environmental injustice by the Trump Administration.

“This is on track with every decision of the administration,” SCHS senior and environmental activist Jenna Yeam said. “They fail to see the science and invest in our future.”

These steps could prove to be fatal as global temperatures continue to rise and nations struggle to cut back greenhouse gas emissions. This is just another example of a detrimental decision taken by the president that will hurt the next generations, making it harder to reverse this global crisis.