By: Meekael Hailu
The president has accomplished one of the many goals he set out on the campaign trail. The Environmental Protection Agency announced that they will repeal the Obama-era Carbon Emissions Rule, also known as the Clean Power Plan. “The war on coal is over” the head of the Agency, Scott Pruitt, stated on Oct. 9th. This repeal will remove what the previous administration set in place and will likely also remove the United States from the previously-entered Paris Climate Agreement. This decision made by the Trump Administration comes down to money. Coal has always been an integral source of energy for the United States. Not only does coal contribute to how this country is powered, but it also contributes to the economy. The coal industry is ecstatic following this news, and understandably so, knowing that many companies and jobs will be protected. However, to put it into perspective, the coal industry employs fewer people than Arbys. So, the removal of the coal industry wouldn't quite be the “end all be all” for the American economy. It is a large employer but certainly not the biggest in this country.Believers in climate change aren't so happy with this repeal. Many people believe that no matter how many jobs and industries are kept, the issues of climate change are increasingly imminent, and sweeping them under the rug in an attempt to celebrate the sustained strength of the coal industry is a dangerous mistake. These believers in climate change look past the present economical reasons for keeping the coal industry and fix their eyes on the environmental impacts that coal brings over a long period of time. Plenty of people believe that the heavy use of coal in our society is an unwise decision due to the rise of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. There are a plethora of people either praising this repeal or voicing their opinions against it. Regardless of one's stance on the matter, one thing everyone can agree on is that the repeal of the Clean Power Plan will shake up many events in the years to come.Image via Creative Commons.