More Trump Lies: The Environment

The President gave a long speech yesterday touting his wonderful, amazing track record on protecting and improving the environment. The speech was full of misleading information that one can reasonably call lies. So many lies. One can only wonder how many people will believe them. It won't be none.

Three examples from the speech illustrate claimed reality and real reality.

Truth #1: “Of the six “criteria” air pollutants tracked by the Environmental Protection Agency, four actually increased in 2017, Mr. Trump’s first year in office: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and two measures of particulate matter pollution. . . . . Independent analyses have also found that air quality has declined under Mr. Trump’s watch. The Associated Press reported that there were 15 percent more days with unhealthy air in the United States both in 2017 and 2018 than on average from 2013 to 2016.”

Lie #1: “One of the main messages of air pollution, particulate matter is six times lower here than the global average.”

Truth #1 again: Independent analyses found that air quality declined under Mr. Trump’s watch. People who are concerned about the environment and believe the lie and vote for the President in 2020 will have been deceived and betrayed by him.

Truth #2: “But the United States is also the second-largest emitter in the world and one of the largest per capita emitters. By more meaningful metrics, the United States lags behind many other countries.

In that time period — before Mr. Trump took office — the United States reduced total emissions 15.7 percent, according to the International Energy Agency. That rate was below that of more than 20 signatories to the Paris agreement, including advanced economies like the United Kingdom (28.7 percent), Sweden (26.9 percent) and Italy (22.5 percent).

In emissions per capita, the United States reduced emissions by about 26.3 percent, behind more than a dozen signatories including Denmark (38.7 percent), Britain (36.1 percent) and Sweden (34.6 percent).

It’s also worth noting that the United States’ emissions increased in 2018, according to the Energy Information Administration and an independent research firm.”

Lie #2: “Every single one of the signatories to the Paris climate accord lags behind America in overall emissions reductions.”

Truth #2 again: The US reduction rate was rate was below that of more than 20 signatories to the Paris agreement, including advanced economies. People who are concerned about the environment and believe the lie and vote for the President in 2020 will have been deceived and betrayed by him.

Truth #3: “Mr. Trump is referring to the E.P.A.’s plan to reduce childhood lead exposure, released in December 2018. The plan includes four goals with few concrete deadlines. The Environmental Defense Fund called it a “a repackaged and updated version” of programs that began during the Obama administration.

The E.P.A. is expected to release an update to a rule on lead and copper in drinking water in July, after delaying the revision several times. The agency also announced stricter standards for lead in paint dust in late June — after a federal court ordered it to do so in 2017. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit gave the E.P.A. 90 days to update the rule and a year to finalize it, rejecting the agency’s argument that it had met its obligations.”

Lie #3: “For the first time in nearly 30 years, we are in the process of strengthening national drinking water standards to protect vulnerable children from lead and copper exposure.”

Truth #3 again: The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit gave the E.P.A. 90 days to update the rule and a year to finalize it, rejecting the agency’s argument that it had met its obligations. People who are concerned about the environment and believe the lie and vote for the President in 2020 will have been deceived and betrayed by him.

Are the statements at issue merely misleading or are they outright lies? Or, are they just bullshit if one assumes the speaker doesn't care about truth and doesn't know the facts, which is plausible?

B&B orig: 7/9/19