I make the case that the Trump Administration lacks a climate change platform (other than ignoring, denying, or downplaying its importance). I then argue that this is because climate change has no place in its story about the American way of life. We look at this story with a focus on the central pillars of deregulation and energy dominance, where 'energy' means fossil fuels. Finally, we discuss how this is not ecomodernism.

1. 26. Deregulation, Energy
Dominance, and the Trump
Administration
Adam Briggle
UNT Phil 4250 Climate Change
adam.briggle@unt.edu

2. Outline
• Objective: To examine the Trump Administration’s approach
to climate change.
• There really is no such thing as a Trump Administration
climate agenda, policy, or plan
• That’s because it doesn’t fit into his basic story
• This looks like ecomodernism
• But it is not ecomodernism

4. The basic story – from the Double Eagle speech
• The American way of life is the greatest ever. Suburbia!
• It is made possible by energy (where ‘energy’ means ‘fossil fuels’). Oil = patriotism.
• So, we are approving pipelines, removing regulations, and opening up more land and water for
extraction. (Deregulation)
• Domestic energy means we control our fate and can influence other nations. America First!
• Now a net energy exporter (LNG) – dominant position we will never lose. (Energy Dominance)
(though note Obama increased domestic production of oil more – 3.8 vs 3.1 – and we are on a decline
now)
• The radical left (the enemy) wants to destroy this way of life by undermining energy. They are ‘sick’ and
‘they don’t love our country’
• The Green New Deal will abolish fossil fuels
• Climate change is not mentioned – only to say how expensive climate policies are and how they are ‘not
possible.’
• Clean air and water, we love our environment.

5. This looks like ecomodernism…
• Emphasis on innovation and economic growth and market forces.
• A reliance on decoupling to justify its approach (economy grows and
we have cleaner air and water).
• But looks can be deceiving…

7. • US required to regulate GHGs
(2009 EPA endangerment
finding)
• Trump Admin scrapped Clean
Power Plan for ACE
• CPP promoted a wide range of
options to reduce C02 emissions
• ACE takes a narrow approach:
only efficiency measures at coal
plants
• A rebound effect (Jevon’s
Paradox)!
• Conclusion: CO2 reductions
much less, and SO2 and NOx
actually up

8. So, this is not ecomodernism
• Julian Simon bet on a process – ingenuity finding more of a resource
or replacements for it.
• The Trump Administration is betting on a substance – fossil fuels.
• So, it is about innovation only when it is the favored fuel –
deregulatory efforts systematically favor fossil fuels.
• National strength, character, and prosperity hitched to fossil fuels
• More significantly – ecomodernists take climate change seriously (as
diabetes)
• The Trump Administration has only shifted from ‘hoax’ to vague lip-
service.

9. “Elections have consequences.”
Ackbar, concerned permanent resident of Earth