#Trump outlines environmental policy, skepticism of global climate pacts

President Trump outlined how he would address environmental concerns and sounded the alarm about getting the US involved in global climate deals because they blunt the country’s competitive edge.

The president was asked about climate change because of the wildfires in California during an interview on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday. He said the fires could be curbed using controlled burns and clearing the forest ground of combustible materials, pointing to European forest management, and adding that he has discussed the strategy with California Governor Gavin Newsom.

“Look around you have forests as all over the world, you don’t have fires like you do in California. In Europe they have forest cities. You look at countries, Austria, you look at so many countries, they live in the forest. They’re considered forest cities – so many of them, and they don’t have fires like this, and they have more explosive trees. They have trees that will catch easier. But they maintain their fire. They have an expression they ‘thin the fuel.’ The fuel is what’s on the ground – the leaves, the trees that fall, they’re dry like they’re like a matchstick. … They’re very explosive and they have to get rid of that stuff,” Trump said.

Trump then addressed his skepticism of global climate agreements, saying the United States makes industry adjustments to curb emissions while other nations undermine environmental goals in order to avoid any economic slow-down.

“We wouldn’t be competitive as a country anymore. And there are people who don’t care about that. They say that’s okay, put everybody out of business. They really don’t care,” the president said, adding that other countries do not abide by the deals that constrain the US.

“Remember we have a little problem called other countries, and they don’t follow suit. China sends up tremendous filth into the air and into our oceans, by the way, India, likewise, Russia,” Trump said.

“These are massive countries that have not done what they should be doing,” he added.

Turning to the Green New Deal that has been proposed by progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with broad support from Democrats, Trump said it would spell the end of America’s factories.

“The Green New Deal is a farce. The Green New Deal would really cost $100 trillion.

“That’s more money than we could make in 100 years. It’s ridiculous and it would put us – our factories would be closed. Businesses would be closed. It’s ridiculous,” he said.

Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017.