Project 2025 and what it means for the planet
With the United States’ pro-climate sentiments becoming more vocal, one would expect this trend to follow in politics as well. Instead, the outcome of the upcoming November 2024 Presidential Election will determine whether the country takes a path towards climate progress or moves backwards in favor of a pro-industrial development stance. This anti-climate agenda can best be understood in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which aims to prepare a conservative governance blueprint for a potential Republican administration in 2025. Project 2025 has the potential to greatly impact climate progress in the United States as well as the global stage.
Project 2025 is an over 900 page policy plan developed by the Heritage Foundation, a large conservative think tank known for its principles of free enterprise, limited government, and individual freedom, that presents a solution that dismantles the “unaccountable Deep State”, transferring power from “Leftist elites” to the people and the president. It dictates the direction of education, immigration, and federal power to name a few. By banning concepts like Critical Race Theory, increasing the enforcement of existing immigration laws, and cutting down the bureaucracy, Project 2025 intends to drive the country forward, through a modern conservative agenda. Climate change is another major theme within Project 2025. While the Biden administration has made some progress on mitigation policies, global collaboration, and public awareness, the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 aims to halt these efforts and allow fossil fuels to run free.
Trump has endorsed the Heritage Foundation, but he has publicly stated that he does not completely support Project 2025, despite its alignment with many of his policies. Conversely, it has been proven that over 140 of Trump’s selected employees have worked on it. No matter who supports this plan, its implementation would completely alter the future of this nation.
As previously mentioned, Project 2025 devotes a significant portion of its agenda to dismantling recent climate progress. The framework is pro-fossil fuels and pro-corporations, which expectedly will create waves of environmental impact. The plan does this with varying methods, which range from dismantling environmental organizations and revoking green legislations, to withdrawing from international agreements. To better understand the Project 2025 climate agenda, it is imperative to review these tactics in totality.
Firstly, organizations that research and develop climate resilience strategies and structures will be shut down or have their funding cut by Project 2025. These include the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, both feeding information to many other agencies across the bureaucracy. Similarly, Project 2025 seeks the deregulation of the environment through the dismantling of legislations, seen in its aim to “unleash American energy”. Project 2025 specifically targets the EPA and plans to shift its focus away from climate change and justice. The Heritage Foundation believes that by removing these limitations, it will allow certain industries, including fossil fuels plants, to grow and thrive. Once again, the phrase of unleashing American energy drives this anti-environment thinking, pushing forward corporate interests at any cost. Additionally, the global community will be unable to mitigate as Project 2025 strives for the withdrawal from international climate agreements and alliances. Both Donald Trump and the Heritage Foundation want to withdraw from major international accords, especially the Paris Agreement, where over 195 countries have pledged to prioritize climate change mitigation and adaptation. Former president Trump did, in fact, withdraw during his presidency and, whether via Project 2025 or not, plans to do it again. Together, these goals thwart climate progress across scientific, public, and political realms, leaving the field drastically different from its present state.
While the short-term effects of Project 2025 will be felt immediately, there are some underlying long-term impacts on social structures that must be reviewed in order to understand this plan. Project 2025’s immediate impact on climate policy in the US will be devastating as climate issues will be completely deprioritized, defunded, or dismantled. The long-term impact includes the acceleration of global warming, the depletion of resources, and the loss of natural diversity. Project 2025’s promotion of fossil fuels will greatly discourage and impede the push towards renewable energy and sustainable technology development, slowing down the recent surge in green innovations. Project 2025 seeks to eliminate climate education resources in classrooms and plans to limit free speech against their agenda. Put simply, Project 2025 intends to dismantle climate change activism and action, reverting progress back to the days of the Cold War.
While not specifically written, Project 2025 will also undoubtedly create intersectional social issues. Further resource extraction and industrial expansion across parks, reserves, public green spaces, and Indigenous lands will inevitably lead to greater injustices for the most marginalized communities. Black and Latino communities will face increased threats of air pollution, toxic substance exposure, and possible gentrification with increased industrialization and corporate development, and Indigenous communities risk losing the ability to self-govern as their lands are vulnerable to seizure in favor of corporate interests. Public health will also suffer as there will be no governmental entities to regulate exposures or monitor safety and air quality. Furthermore, there will be no funding for green space projects, and no organizations to protect public spaces from drilling, fracking, and mining for ‘American energy.’.
Project 2025’s environmental and climate clauses will increase public health risks, environmental degradation, and further widen economic disparities. These long-term impacts underscore the critical importance of climate policy in shaping the survival of communities and viability of our planet. Given that Project 2025 is a part of the conservative agenda, as the election approaches, voters should carefully consider how proposed policies align with their values and the long-term well-being of humanity, because informed decisions will determine the direction of the nation’s climate and social landscape. The choice is between environmental deprivation or the vibrancy of our humanity.
Works Cited
Grist, Z. T., & Grist, Z. T. (2024, July 26). What Project 2025 would do to climate policy in the US. Yale Climate Connections. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/07/what-project-2025-would-do-to-climate-policy-in-the-us/
Project 2025. (2024, July 29). The Truth about Project 2025 | Project 2025. Project 2025 | Presidential Transition Project. https://www.project2025.org/truth/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzby1BhCQARIsAJ_0t5Pa66A0MtCmVDiCSmknhKc3l7D4wx8ELvXeaW-UGeiQeppVagBiUJ0aAo5MEALw_wcB
New modeling shows how bad Project 2025 would be compared to a clean energy future. (2024, August 15). Evergreen Action. https://www.evergreenaction.com/blog/new-modeling-shows-how-bad-project-2025-would-be-compared-to-a-clean-energy-future-14
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