Trump’s Crusade Against the Climate and the Return of the Fossil Era

In a move that defies any notion of environmental responsibility, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced on Monday (10) that the Trump administration will reinstate an aggressively pro-fossil fuel policy, burying Joe Biden’s climate change legacy once and for all. The announcement took place before an audience of industry magnates at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

“The Trump administration will put an end to Biden’s irrational, quasi-religious climate policies, which have imposed endless sacrifices on our citizens,” declared Wright, receiving a standing ovation from an auditorium filled with oil industry executives. The promise is clear: dismantle environmental regulations and facilitate fossil fuel exploitation in a crusade against renewable energy.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has waged an unrestrained trade war, eliminating regulations that hinder the expansion of the oil and gas industries. His executive order, “Unleashing American Energy,” symbolizes this new phase, in which he promises to eradicate any trace of the Green New Deal and embrace the "liquid gold" that fuels his base of supporters and financiers.

Environmental rhetoric has no place on Trump’s agenda. Wright dismissed offshore wind projects as a “waste of money” and claimed that renewable sources will never replace natural gas. “I have been called a climate change denier, but I am a climate realist,” he said, disregarding the global scientific consensus on the climate crisis.

Trump’s initiative also seeks to boost liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, strengthening trade ties with energy-dependent countries. Recently, Wright celebrated the expansion of an LNG export facility in Louisiana, valued at $18 billion.

However, experts warn that the "growth for growth’s sake" approach could backfire on the industry itself. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth stated that many companies have already reached their limit and seek stability rather than “just more barrels.” Meanwhile, environmentalists warn that Trump’s agenda puts vulnerable communities and the future of the planet at risk.

Whether out of convenience or conviction, the Trump administration insists on ignoring climate warnings in the name of "energy greatness." While the world moves toward clean energy, the United States turns to a strategy from the past century, obsessively clinging to the fossil fuel industry. History will judge whether this reckless gamble leads to prosperity or environmental collapse.