Recent actions (and inactions) by President Trump

Ecosystems, and Changing places (USA and Gaza)

[The last post for a while – I’m off on my hols. That is, of course, unless something catches my eye in the next two weeks.

Here is information on two separate ideas by President Trump that will/may have a geographical impact. And a third post on an issue that the aforesaid President arguably should have an impact on.

Finally, if you are studying the impact of volcanoes on climate change, here is a useful Substack post by Zeke Hausfather.]

Ecosystems

1. The opening up of the Pacific Islands MPA

President Trump has signed a proclamation allowing commercial fishing to take place in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument (PIH), a massive marine protected area (MPA), which is home to threatened fish, sea turtles and marine mammals (see map below).

The proclamation says U.S.-flagged vessels may now fish within 50-200 nautical miles inside the PIH’s boundaries. The PIH was established in 2009 by President George W. Bush and expanded under President Barack Obama in 2014 to cover about 1.3 million sq km, mostly around uninhabited U.S.-controlled islands and atolls. Industrial fishing was, until now, banned in the PIH.

The proclamation states that banning commercial fishing has been detrimental for U.S. fishermen, who have had to fish farther away and compete against poorly regulated foreign fleets. The move was condemned by local conservation groups, who called Trump’s order a blow to the effort to protect critical pockets of biodiversity across the Pacific.

The PIH includes 165 known seamounts and is recognized as one of the world’s most pristine tropical marine environments.

2. The Great Lakes

In 2024, the Republican Senator for Ohio, J.D Vance, praised efforts to restore the marine ecosystem of the Great Lakes, calling them ‘an invaluable asset’ and supporting more funding to fight ‘invasive species, algal blooms, pollution and other threats to the ecosystem’.

One year later, as Vice President, Mr Vance now supports the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) effort to reduce federal spending. Consequently, the Trump administration has severely reduced the staff at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and enacted severe spending limits.

One scientist who has lost her job in the cuts stated ‘It has taken over a century of bipartisan cooperation, investment and science to bring the Great Lakes back from the brink of ecological collapse. But these reckless cuts could undo the progress in just a few short years, endangering the largest surface freshwater system in the world.’

Postscripts

(a) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said that its weather and climate database will now be ‘retired’. This will make it difficult for the public or a federal agency to track the cost of extreme events. NOAA is also cutting the services it provides, with climate-related programs especially vulnerable.

(b) The Trump administration has also sacked the acting administrator of FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This organisation helps support areas affected by tropical storms, tornadoes, wildfires and any other natural hazards. The administration wants to close FEMA down, and transfer responsibility for disaster aid and relief to the individual states of the USA.

Changing Places (Alcatraz)

President Trump has ordered several separate federal agencies to rebuild and reopen the former prison on Alcatraz Island, located off San Francisco, California (see image below). The penitentiary, which operated from 1934 to 1963, has since become a tourist attraction managed by the National Park Service visited by over 1.2 million people annually.

President Trump directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Homeland Security, and the Justice Department, to expand and rebuild the prison as a high-security facility for difficult inmates. During its operation, Alcatraz held several infamous criminals, including Al Capone and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly.

The prison was closed primarily because it was nearly three times more expensive to operate than other federal prisons, largely due to its isolated island location. Trump’s plan to reopen the prison faces similar financial and operational challenges, especially given the island’s status as a protected historic site.

Changing places (Gaza)

Israeli airstrikes have continued to pound Gaza, days after Israel approved a plan to intensify its operations in the Palestinian enclave. These operations include seizing Gaza, forcibly displacing Palestinians to southern Gaza, and taking control of aid distribution through the auspices of private security companies. Israel already controls 50% of Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu says the plan will not be fully implemented until after President Trump completes his visit to the Middle East this month.

Israel enforced a ban on aid entering Gaza three months ago, accusing the Hamas militant group of stealing goods and profiting from them. Israeli leaders hope to pressure Hamas to compromise in stalled ceasefire negotiations and release the hostages it still holds in Gaza. This has led to famine-like conditions for the two million people living there, with at least 9,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since the start of the year.

Some people fear that we are amid genocide of the Gaza Palestinian residents.

Source: UN.