Climate Change Sceptics In Trump's Cabinet: Should The World Be Concerned?

Climate activists worldwide are concerned about President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for the energy sector. Both the Energy Secretary and the Interior Secretary are climate change sceptics. This is when the world is witnessing the effects of global warming in the frequent hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, and extreme weather conditions.

Scientists believe that the year 2024 is set to be one of the hottest in recorded history. Rising sea levels threaten island nations, and developing countries are waiting for funds to combat climate change caused by the industrialised world's unrestrained consumption and greed.

Funds were difficult to come by after COVID-19, and now, with Trump's presidency in place for the next four years, it will be crunch time. Despite strong statements for action from the podium, there was general despondency at the recent COPS 29 conference in Baku.

The long shadow of the Trump presidency loomed over the meeting. Trump’s cabinet picks reflect the President-elect's views and bring little hope for climate action. He has often publicly said that climate change is a hoax promoted by China to steal American jobs.

Chris Wright: Energy Secretary

Oil executive Chirs Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, is President Trump’s choice for Energy Secretary. Wright has an estimated net worth of $171 million and has never worked for the government.

He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a mechanical engineer and earned a master's in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Wright founded Liberty Energy in 2010, a $3 billion publicly traded oil field services firm. It fracks 20 per cent of onshore wells across the US.  

Like Trump, he is a climate sceptic and believes climate change is a hoax aimed at taking away American jobs. In a video posted on his LinkedIn profile in January 2023, he said, "There is no climate crisis, and we're not in the midst of an energy transition either." He said that the climate movement was "collapsing under its own weight."

He is expected to end the fight for sustainable energy and retract most of Joe Biden’s clean energy policies. 

Interior Secretary and Chair of National Energy Council: Doug Bergum 

The 68-year-old Governor of North Dakota is Trump’s pick for the important roles of managing public lands and natural resources, conserving national parks, and addressing environmental issues.

He received a Bachelor of University Studies degree from North Dakota State University and then an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Bergum, a billionaire businessman, was a one-time contender for the Republican ticket against Trump, pulled out and later turned into an enthusiastic Trump supporter. 

Bergum will also head the National Energy Council, which aims to coordinate the country’s energy policies.

Like Chirs Wright, Bergum is all for fossil fuel extraction and will bypass environmental concerns to dig for minerals and oils in federally controlled land. 

“We will DRILL BABY DRILL, expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good-paying jobs,” Trump said while announcing  Burgum’s appointment.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin, 44, a former Republican Congressman for New York and a staunch Trump supporter. 

Zeldin graduated from the University of Albany with a degree in political science in 2001. He then studied law and received a Juris Doctor from Albany Law College. He joined the New York State Bar in 2004.

While not much is known about his views on climate change, he is a hardcore Trump Republican and greeted the US Supreme Court overturning the Roe versus Wade judgement in 2022 as a "victory for life, for family, for the Constitution, and for federalism." 

While announcing Zeldin as his choice to head the EPA, Trump said, “Lee, with a solid legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies. He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.

“He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way,” Trump added. 

Zeldin is expected to follow Trump’s stance on climate change and de-regulate whenever laws protecting the environment interfere with business practices.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth: 

A 44-year-old popular Fox News host. He is an army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and retired as an Army National Guard Major in 2021. His nomination has sent shockwaves among senior US army commanders, who believe Hegseth has little experience heading the world’s most powerful force. 

Hegseth graduated from Forest Lake Area High School in 1999. He then attended Princeton University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 2003.

A staunch Republican and one of Trump’s most ardent supporters, he backed the President-elect since 2016. He was slated for a senior position in Trump’s first administration but ultimately lost out. He holds controversial views, including banning women from combat roles. 

Hegseth has long criticised what he dubs "wokeism" in the military. The emphasis on diversity has always been a sore point for MAGA supporters. They say that meritocracy in the military has been sacrificed to diversity. Generals who favour diversity will be Hegseth’s first victims as he promises to sweep out alleged woke generals.

"The dumbest phrase on planet Earth in the military is 'our diversity is our strength,'’ US media quoted Hegseth saying in a recent podcast.