EarthBeat Weekly: Trump's energy executive orders at odds with Catholic teaching on the environment

Trump's energy executive orders at odds with Catholic teaching on the environment Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change January 24, 2025 Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the Bible during the inauguration ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington Jan. 20, 2025. (OSV News/Morry Gash, pool via Reuters) When Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday (Jan. 20), he set several records for the U.S. presidency.  At 78-years-old, he is the oldest person ever elected to the office.  While Trump isn't the first president to have been impeached (Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998), he is the only one to have been impeached twice (2019, 2021). Trump is the first convicted felon to become president. And he signed more executive orders (26) on Inauguration Day than any former president, nearly tripling the prior record (9) held by Joe Biden. Many of Trump's day 1 executive orders advocate for priorities out of line with Catholic Church teaching, such as those pertaining to immigration — about which U.S. church leaders have begun voicing their opposition — and to energy. NCR environment correspondent Brian Roewe reports:  Trump also issued a series of executive orders on energy, with one declaring an "energy emergency" to expand U.S. oil production. In addition, he moved to lift restrictions on drilling in Alaska, halt offshore wind farms, and roll back environmental protections and clean energy and environmental justice policies established under former President Joe Biden. To crowd cheers at Capital One Arena, Trump signed his second withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change, a framework that includes the Holy See as a member. Under the Paris accord, the withdrawal will go into effect within a year. Dan Misleh, founder and executive director of the D.C.-based Catholic Climate Covenant, told EarthBeat ahead of Trump's inauguration, "I think it's going to be a challenging time for the environmental issues that are of concern to the church and lots of young people as well." Read more: Catholics on edge as Trump's second term brings migration crackdown, climate deal exit Many of the newly-inaugurated president's executive orders came on the tails of known campaign promises, but there were also some surprises in the mix. "A short time from now we are going to be changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Trump announced, "and we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs," he said. The highest peak in North America had been popularly known as Mount McKinley since the early 1900s. In 2015, then-Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell changed its official name to Denali, reports Daysha Eaton for Religion News Service. "Our nation's tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska's Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in voicing her own opposition to the possible name change.  "Located on the traditional homelands of the Dene peoples, it reflects a profound spiritual and cultural relationship with the land," said Emily Edenshaw, president and CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center. "Keeping this name honors that connection and recognizes the enduring contributions of Alaska Native peoples." Read more: Alaska Native leaders call to preserve Denali name for Mount McKinley Many of Trump's executive orders are expected to be challenged in court and by Congress. Will the U.S. Catholic Church speak in opposition to those orders that go against church teaching? NCR will continue to provide coverage.   What else is new on EarthBeat:   'Grim but not hopeless': Catholics reflect as 2024 is hottest year on record by Brian Roewe In spite of the many plights, environmental and otherwise, facing the world, the pope has called humanity to hope.   Catholic family in Altadena holds off flames, looters with courage — and prayer by Timothy J. Burger Nick Norman says firefighters and law enforcement were of little assistance in protecting his Altadena neighborhood from wildfires and looters Jan. 8 and 9, but many in the community came together to protect what they could on their own.   'My heart is with LA': Pope prays for people of Los Angeles as they endure wildfires by Associated Press Francis referred to the disaster during his weekly general audience Wednesday and invoked Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is revered by many Latino Catholics.   Catholic sisters flee to safety from LA's 'absolutely heartbreaking' fires by Dan Stockman Sr. Maribeth Larkin, whose Sisters of Social Service evacuated to stay with the Sisters of Notre Dame, advised other congregations to talk to each other, and "have an up-to-date plan, not one you dust off from 20 years ago."   Inspired by Thomas Merton, this 'Planetwalker' traversed the world in silent activism by Ryan Di Corpo "Planetwalker" is a documentary about John Francis, an uncommon globetrotter who embarked on a yearslong trek for the environment, with 17 of those years observing a vow of silence.   In Valencia, sisters bring comfort and assistance to flood survivors by Eliana López Álvarez , Translated by Magda Bennásar After devastating, deadly floods in Valencia, Spain, Catholic sisters have contributed to recovery with spiritual help and physical labor, hand in hand with volunteers who are cleaning up affected towns.     I practice mercy in the meta-crisis by moving from my head to my heart by Griffin Cunningham The overwhelming nature of the climate crisis can paralyze our ability to think and act toward a more sustainable future. What becomes possible when we approach it not from the head, but from the heart?    What's happening in other climate news: Trump targeted scientists in his first term. This time, they're prepared. —Coral Davenport for The New York Times Big banks quit climate change groups ahead of Trump's term —Eshe Nelson for The New York Times Trump resurrects 'God Squad' to bend the Endangered Species Act —Michael Doyle, Hannah Northey for E&E News Young conservatives want to push Trump on climate change — the 'America First' way —Kate Yoder for Grist The 8 talking points fossil fuel companies use to obstruct climate action —Joseph Winters for Grist LA wildfires: The incarcerated firefighters battling blazes —David Sherfinski for Thomson Reuters Foundation  What makes a neighborhood resilient to fires? —Umair Irfan for Vox   Final Beat: "Technological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress," the pope said in a message to the World Economic Forum, Jan. 23. Artificial intelligence, he said, "should be placed at the service of a healthier, more human, more social and more integral development." Read more: AI is human creation that must be controlled by humans, pope says For ever more from NCR on artificial intelligence: Catholics should confront AI's environmental costs Hope for an AI doomer: Laudato Si' predicted today's technology threats Hope for an AI doomer: Laudato Si' responds to today's technology with promise Thanks for reading EarthBeat. Stephanie Clary Environment Editor National Catholic Reporter sclary@ncronline.org Instagram: @stephaniecherpakclary     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement