News | January 27, 2025

Executive orders are a wishlist, not a magic wand

Within hours of taking office, the new Trump administration issued dozens of executive orders. Many of these demands took aim at upending environmental justice, halting historic climate funding, and opening the floodgates for fossil fuels. 

Although this administration has pledged to dismantle our most commonsense environmental protections, the president does not and has never had the power to reverse many of our nation’s foundational laws with a mere executive order. 

The election was not a mandate – or green light – to contaminate our water with forever chemicals, pollute our air with hazardous emissions, or trade away our public lands to the highest bidders. 

We’re tracking the Trump administration’s preliminary orders that threaten our southern environment.  

Executive orders aren’t a magic wand. The truth is this wave of demands from the Trump administration is merely a wishlist.

DJ GERKEN, SELC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Trump administration has made clear its plans to:
 

Direct agencies to immediately pause federal climate funding and tax credits  

  • This goes for projects and programs that are lowering America’s energy costs, creating new good jobs, and equipping communities to address the causes and consequences of a changing climate.  


Protesters gathered for an environmental justice protest

Attempt to terminate environmental justice programs 

  • This includes the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program providing federal funding to underserved and overburdened communities for projects that address environmental issues, including air quality and health impacts, water quality sampling and monitoring, and emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency. 


Fast track fossil fuels under the guise of a “national energy emergency” 

  • The administration has directed federal agencies to take all action — waiving Clean Air Act protections, encouraging workarounds to the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, and speeding up permitting and environmental review processes — to push through pipelines and other fossil fuel energy projects, including on federal lands.   
  • The administration has also directed the Department of Energy to start approving new liquid natural gas (LNG) export requests again.  
  • The South is facing several LNG gas proposals that will lock us into decades of fossil fuel reliance and delay the transition to more affordable, reliable clean energy.  
  • Paving the way for more fossil fuels — while blocking access to clean energy — will drive up costs for families, businesses, and the energy sector. 

Offshore drilling platform in a body of water

Move to undo the Biden administration’s recent offshore drilling ban  

  • After a groundswell of opposition from communities along the Atlantic coast over the past 10 years, more than 250 coastal municipalities passed resolutions to oppose offshore drilling after the Atlantic was first proposed for leasing a decade ago.   

Pause developing offshore wind projects 

  • The goal is to temporarily block offshore wind energy leasing areas within the Offshore Continental Shelf and prevent consideration of any area “for any new or renewed wind energy leasing.” 
  • This would harm our nation’s efforts to diversify our energy supply and maintain a reliable electric grid.  
  • It also runs counter to what the administration itself is saying about an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy.  
  • Offshore wind can provide the South with cleaner fuel-free energy, a cleaner environment and less pollution, good paying jobs and new businesses, and a brighter climate future.    

Revoke flooding guidelines for developers

  • Revoking the standard puts Southern communities and buildings at direct risk of flooding and wastes taxpayer dollars with costly repairs and replacements.   

On the offense

While the Trump administration says these actions will result in clean air and clean water, policies and directives from day one of the second term already show the opposite. 

It’s a pattern of practice from the first term. Withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords a second time continues to set us back from global climate leadership.  

We’re already ceding competitive advantage to other nations investing in clean energy technology. This administration’s sentiment of securing access to clean air and water clearly only applies to some communities.

DJ GERKEN, SELC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Our system of environmental safeguards is made to withstand the policy whims of any president. We’re ready to do whatever it takes to prevent this wishlist of orders from becoming reality. 

With four decades of experience and 130 legal and policy experts, SELC is prepared to stand with our partners and the people across the South to protect the healthy environment we all depend on, because no one voted for dirty air and water. 

Your gift helps SELC hold the Trump administration accountable to the law, defend our environmental protections, and stand with Southern communities as they reclaim clean air and water. 

Help us protect clean air and water for Southern communities.