Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

GOP trampling environment

Donald Trump and the Republican Congress do not value nature and the environment.

Trump wants to allow the remnants of dead elephants, lions and other imperiled wildlife imported into the U.S. as “trophies.”

Trump pushed for an 85 percent reduction to Utah’s 1.3 million acre Bears Ears National Monument created in 2016 by President Barack Obama, and a 50 percent cut to the state’s 1.9 million acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument created by Bill Clinton in 1996. And Trump is eyeing more reductions to other national monuments.

The Republican tax bill that just passed the Senate allows for drilling in the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, home to many species of wildlife that are struggling to survive. This nonpolluted region also provides sustenance to indigenous peoples.

The Republicans do not care about fouling our water, air and soil with fossil fuels. And they are eager to reduce the EPA’s budget by at least 30 percent. Also, it is of no concern to them that every year countless species of animals and plants are driven to extinction due to hunting, poaching, destruction of habitat and climate change caused by fossil fuel use.

Nor does it matter to the Republicans that national monuments and national parks are unique and irreplaceable. These were originally designated and protected for the public’s enjoyment and to provide a safe habitat for wildlife. They were not intended for commercial exploitation and plundering for profit.

Nothing is sacred to the Republicans except for the millions of dollars in campaign contributions they receive from wealthy donors such as big-game hunters and lucrative industries such as coal and oil, lumber and mining. Nature and the environment be damned.