Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”: A Massive Step Backward on Climate, Economy, and Science

By Laura Mc Leod

Let's dive into today’s most pressing issue: President Trump’s "Big Beautiful Bill"—a sweeping piece of legislation packed with the President's top policy priorities. After contentious negotiations, the House recently passed it, but its true impact goes far beyond the political headlines. This bill doesn’t just shift policy—it reshapes the country’s economic and environmental foundations.

So, what exactly does this bill do? Let’s unpack it.

A Budget with Consequences

At its core, this legislation extends Trump-era tax cuts, increases funding for border security, deportation, and defense, slashes Medicaid spending through work requirements, and raises the national debt ceiling by $4 trillion. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of the bill is what it does—or rather, undoes—in terms of climate and environmental policy.

It aims to gut the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history, signed by President Biden in 2022. The IRA wasn’t just about cutting emissions; it invested in a future where green energy, conservation, and resilience weren’t just aspirations but achievable goals. If passed, Trump’s bill would reverse that progress.

Electric Vehicles and Green Energy: Under Attack

One of the IRA’s most visible and popular components, the $7,500 EV tax credit, is on the chopping block. Republicans want to eliminate it, loosen emissions standards for vehicles, and phase out homeowner credits for energy audits, heat pumps, and solar installations. These changes would not only increase pollution but also raise household energy costs by more than $33 billion annually by 2035, according to the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation. That’s about $250 more per household, every year.

Rolling back these incentives also puts the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage. Countries like China are already far ahead in electric vehicle development. By undermining green industries now, we risk falling behind in one of the most critical global economic shifts of the 21st century.

Dismantling Support for Innovation

Trump’s bill also targets the Loan Programs Office (LPO) at the Department of Energy—a key driver of innovation. This is the same office that gave Tesla its pivotal $465 million loan in 2010. Eliminating its funding would make it harder for American companies to access the capital they need to develop clean technologies and compete globally.

In other words, this isn’t just an environmental setback. It’s an economic one.

The Courts, the EPA, and the Death of Environmental Review

In other news, on May 29, the Supreme Court ruled that federal agencies can take a more limited view of the environmental impacts of infrastructure projects. This weakens the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which has long required thorough environmental assessments for federally funded projects. The ruling paves the way for more fossil fuel infrastructure with fewer checks on their long-term climate impacts.

Meanwhile, Trump’s EPA is planning to withdraw restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel plants—the second-largest source of climate pollution in the U.S. And executive orders signed in April and May have already moved to exempt older coal plants from pollution rules and expand coal mining on public lands.

The health and environmental consequences of these decisions are staggering, especially for communities already overburdened by pollution and climate risk.

Silencing Science

Perhaps most alarming of all is Trump’s recent executive order establishing a so-called “gold standard science” policy. In reality, this policy does the opposite of upholding scientific integrity. It places political appointees in charge of reviewing, altering, and even disciplining scientists whose findings conflict with the administration’s agenda.

Over 6,000 scientists, academics, and healthcare professionals have signed an open letter warning that this order would undermine scientific independence and turn research into propaganda. It’s not just an attack on climate science—it’s an attack on truth itself.

What comes next?

If the "Big Beautiful Bill" passes the Senate, the Trump administration will have a powerful mandate to dismantle federal programs designed to combat climate change, protect public health, and foster innovation. Many of the changes may happen quietly, buried in bureaucratic decisions that escape mainstream attention. But the impacts—on our environment, our economy, and our democracy—will be anything but invisible.

Let’s Not Be Silent

If you’re as concerned about these developments as I am, now is the time to act. Share this post, talk to your representatives, and stay informed. Follow For Climate Out Loud on social media, drop a comment, and hit subscribe. Every voice matters—and yours could help make the difference.

Until next time—stay engaged, stay hopeful, and stay loud.

News from the World of Environmental Politics – April 2025

By Laura Mc Leod

After an unexpected hiatus, For Climate Out Loud is back—and so much has happened in the world of environmental politics over the past month. Episode 2 is now live with an update on April's biggest climate and environmental policy headlines from around the world.

Here’s a quick recap of what it covers:

Europe: Climate Progress and Political Whiplash

The European Union sent mixed signals in April. On the one hand, Germany announced a historic €100 billion investment in climate action and energy transition, and EU-regulated carbon emissions dropped 5% thanks to increased renewable and nuclear energy use. The EU’s Emission Trading System is on track to meet its 2030 targets.

On the other hand, the EU also moved to weaken key sustainability regulations. Smaller companies will be exempt from reporting their environmental impacts until 2028, and new proposals would allow laxer environmental due diligence requirements. Environmental groups have challenged these changes, calling them rushed and lacking transparency.

The EU is also considering watering down its 2040 climate targets—potentially relying more heavily on controversial carbon capture technologies, which many experts argue are inefficient and a distraction from real solutions. Meanwhile, its anti-deforestation law was loosened with less frequent reporting requirements for companies importing high-risk commodities.

Switzerland: The Swiss National Bank Faces Criticism

Switzerland’s National Bank faced public pressure for investing in companies that significantly damage the environment. Protesters and researchers are calling for stronger criteria to ensure financial institutions play a constructive role in the climate transition.

Brazil: Leading with Ambition

There’s encouraging news from Brazil, which is preparing to host this year’s UN Climate Summit. The country launched a bold $2 billion plan to restore 1 million hectares of degraded land and is calling on global powers—including the EU and China—to set stronger emissions goals.

China: Clean Energy Surges, But Targets Lag

China’s renewables now outpace its coal-powered energy capacity for the first time—a major milestone. Still, the country has not committed to more ambitious targets beyond its current 2030 goals. Its carbon intensity remains off track, though it continues to invest heavily in wind and solar infrastructure.

The Bigger Picture: Growth Through Green Policy

A joint OECD and UN report released in April found that ambitious climate action would increase global GDP—not harm it. Contrary to the myth that net-zero policies hurt economies, countries that act now stand to gain the most. Cutting emissions could lift 175 million people out of poverty by 2030 and reduce the risk of losing one-third of global GDP due to unchecked climate change.

United States: Setbacks and Sabotage

Unfortunately, the U.S. under the Trump administration is moving in the opposite direction. April saw:

• The firing of hundreds of scientists working on the federally mandated National Climate Assessment.

• Cuts to climate research funding at Princeton University.

• Loosening of environmental impact and mercury pollution rules.

• New exemptions to the Endangered Species Act.

• A retreat from international climate negotiations, including efforts to decarbonize shipping.

In short, the U.S. government is aggressively dismantling climate policy infrastructure and prioritizing fossil fuel interests—potentially undermining years of progress.

A Final Thought

The global picture is mixed. While some nations are stepping up with landmark investments and bold plans, others are backpedaling just when the stakes are highest. But one thing remains clear: real climate action isn’t just necessary—it’s economically and morally imperative.

Listen to the full episode for all the details — and don’t forget to subscribe, share, and follow For Climate Out Loud wherever you get your podcasts.

Turning Points

What we call the beginning is often the end

And to make an end is to make a beginning

The end is where we start from.

– T.S. Eliot

In November of 2024, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its State of the Climate 2024 Update for COP29, issuing a "Red Alert" at the current, single-generation pace of climate change. According to the report, there is much cause for concern. Greenhouse gases, which had already reached record high levels in 2023, continued to rise in 2024. The global mean surface air temperature between January and September of 2024 was 1.54±0.13º C above the pre-industrial average, setting 2024 on track to be the warmest year on record. With temperatures rising, Antarctic and Arctic sea-ice extents have remained below average, while glaciers continued to melt and ocean heat content and sea levels continued to rise. Extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, hurricanes, heatwaves and cold waves have caused damage, hindered development, and triggered migration and displacement in various parts of the world (WMO, 2024). Add to this the political disruptions and economic instability brought on by geopolitical rivalries, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Israeli-Hamas war, the rise of nationalism and protectionism across the globe, as well as the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it certainly feels like the end of the world is nigh. I don't mean to be fatalistic, nor do I believe that we're doomed. It does, however, feel like we're at a turning point, an end of sorts. Perhaps the end of a way of life that is no longer sustainable. But the end of one thing is always the beginning of another. To put it in the words of T.S. Eliot, "The end is where we start from."

My name is Laura Mc Leod, and For Climate Out Loud is where I start from. I've spent much of my adult life studying society and the world, but I've never before felt the necessity or the urge to inject my personal commentary into a world that is already oversaturated with opinions and information. I have, so far, remained on the sidelines, watching others wrestle with the ever-increasing complexity of society, the tsunami of misinformation, and the onslaught of vitriol brought upon even the most factual of observations and the most thoughtful of commentaries. But the time has come for me to get to work and do my part. I launched For Climate Out Loud because, while the media has rightfully been busy talking about all the other issues that threaten to tear us apart, climate change, the biggest issue of them all, has fallen somewhat to the wayside. The goal of For Climate Out Loud is thus to pick up where others have left off and bring the environment back to center stage. With a brand new podcast and YouTube channel, For Climate Out Loud will provide regular updates on news related to environmental politics. I believe that now, more than ever, it's essential to not lose focus, to bear in mind the bigger picture, and dare I say it, to look for hope. Because despite what it may seem like, the news is not all bad and hope is never lost.

So subscribe and stay tuned!