Former President Barack Obama compared climate change to the coronavirus pandemic and criticized President Donald Trump for rolling back one of his administration’s key climate initiatives.
“We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic,” Obama tweeted Tuesday. “We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall.”
We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic. We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall. https://t.co/K8Ucu7iVDK
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 31, 2020
The Trump administration announced Tuesday that they were rolling back an Obama-era emissions standard regulation in an attempt to make it cheaper to purchase a car. (RELATED: Andrew Cuomo: ‘We Didn’t Have Hurricanes’ Before Climate Change)
“By making newer, safer, and cleaner vehicles more accessible for American families, more lives will be saved and more jobs will be created,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a statement, according to NPR.
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Andrew Wheeler concurred with Chao’s statement.
“Our final rule…strikes the right regulatory balance that protects our environment, and sets reasonable targets for the auto industry,” Wheeler said.