alligators

BREAKING: Donald Trump moves to gut the Endangered Species Act — putting precious animals and plants in danger to supercharge the profits of his corrupt backers. Future generations will inherit a wasteland thanks to these monsters... “Trump’s proposals are a death sentence for wolverines, monarch butterflies, Florida manatees and so many other animals and plants that desperately need our help,” said Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity. “If these rules had been in place back in the 1970s, the bald eagle, the gray whale might not be around today, and if they go into effect now, they will drive animals extinct, and that means a lonelier world,” Kurose explained. “This isn’t about protecting endangered species. This is about the biggest companies in the country wanting to drill for oil and dig coal, even if it causes wildlife like the polar bear and other iconic species to go extinct,” she added. The White House is arguing that the rules as they currently exist are choking off economic development. Translation: corporations could be making more money if they were allowed to rampage across the environment freely. That "economic development" won't benefit average Americans, who will be forced to bear the ecological costs. It will solely benefit shareholders and CEOs. The changes would slash protections for species that are designated as "threatened," which is one rung below "endangered." Of course, once these companies start drilling, mining, and polluting those species will quickly go from threatened, to endangered, to extinct. On top of that, Trump's new rules would make it even harder to designate species as endangered and harder to protect crucial habitats for such species. One need only glance at Trump's pick for Interior Secretary to see how deep the rot goes here. Doug Burgum is a billionaire with deep connections to the fossil fuel industry so it's no surprise that he's enthusiastically supporting the new rules, praising them as "clear, consistent and lawful standards" that "respect the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our land and resources." In reality, this is about funneling more wealth to corporations. America First always meant Corporations First. Please retweet and ❤️ to demand a halt to these changes!