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After Trump killed a report on nature, researchers push ahead with release

After Trump killed a report on nature, researchers push ahead with release



However, it could bode well that all the authors involved in the nature report were publicly nominated and that the questions their report answers were chosen following several rounds of public comment periods. If an already engaged portion of the public is genuinely concerned about how the loss of nature impacts their lives, the findings could perhaps be eagerly met, with or without the US government’s stamp of approval.

The public may even be seeking more clarity outside of government by the time the report is released, as Jenks’ and Dewey’s analysis suggested that Trump’s executive orders seem to contradict each other at times.

For example, his order on wind energy expresses a concern about risks to species that seems to “directly” conflict with the objectives of other orders “to potentially accelerate or avoid both [the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act] reviews to spur fossil energy production.” Through an Environmental Justice Tracker and a Regulatory Tracker, the Harvard researchers plan to monitor these seemingly contradictory policies to trace potential harms and impacts as Trump’s term goes on.

Researchers involved with the nature report confirmed to The Times that they intend to ensure that all the back and forth with the public during listening sessions—where officials asked broad questions like “what does nature mean to you?” and “how do we make this assessment useful for you?”—was not for nothing.

The former director of the report, Phil Levin, told The Times that “nature supports our economy, our health and well-being, national security and safety from fire and floods.” In defending researchers’ efforts to move forward with releasing the report, he echoed the deleted government webpage’s “About” section, warning that “the loss of the National Nature Assessment means that we’re losing important information that we need to ensure that nature and people thrive.”

“Nature is important in its own right, and provides value to the lives of all Americans,” the now-deleted nature report webpage said.

Article by:Source: Ashley Belanger

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