Climate Change

Trump’s rollback of Clean Power Plan a major setback for climate and rural communities

An Executive Order issued by President Trump today begins the process of dismantling the Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan is the first regulation in the U.S. to limit carbon emissions from existing power plants, but the rule has been stalled in the courts since February 2016.

Trump’s proposed budget hits farmers and rural communities hard

President Trump’s proposed budget, released last week, includes massive cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a series of other programs important to rural communities.

Rural climate stories

Rural communities vary greatly in their geographies, economies, and politics, but one similarity is that they will all be impacted by climate change, and the people that live there have an important story to tell.

Troy Goodnough interview

Interview with Rural Climate Dialogues participant Troy Goodnough of Morris, MN

Shona Snater interview

Interview with Rural Climate Dialogue participant Shona Snater of Preston, MN. 

John Howard interview

Interview with Rural Climate Dialogues participant John Howard of Winona, MN

John Howard Interview

Interview with Rural Climate Dialogues participant John Howard of Winona, MN

Trump’s EPA Pick Protects Corporate Backers over the Environment

President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a record of hostility for environmental and public health protection at both state and federal levels.

Tillerson’s damaging record of extraction and opposing climate action

Rural communities in the U.S. and around the world are vulnerable to industries, often with headquarters elsewhere, who view local natural resources simply as an asset to be extracted. No global corporation better exemplifies this approach than the oil giant ExxonMobil. Now, President Donald Trump has nominated the company’s CEO, Rex Tillerson, to run the U.S. State Department.

Private or Public Interest: What can we tell from Trump’s Cabinet appointees?

This week, Congress begins the first round of confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump’s Cabinet. After a bombastic Presidential campaign that was often short on policy specifics, the Cabinet selections provide an initial glimpse into how first-time public officeholder Trump will actually govern.