When he's not centre stage and pulling embarrassing stunts in the full glare of the international press (and when he is not playing golf), it is easy to forget that Donald Trump is continuing to pursue other nefarious policies in the background. In fact, he is, if anything, accelerating his push as his current term dwindles away, and a second term appears ever more unlikely.
So it is that he has racheted up the US trade and investment embargo against Cuba to unprecedented levels while no-one was looking, for example, in an attempt to completely throttle Cuba's economy, because ... well, because they're rabid lefties, aren't they?
And so it is that he has struck another blow against the environment, as a parting gesture, by allowing oil and gas drilling in Alaska's pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which has been off-limits to drilling for over six decades. The ANWR is the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States, and an essential home for iconic protected species like polar bears and Porcupine caribou. But that of course means nothing to Trump and the Trump-appointed Interior Secretary, who claim to have completed the required reviews (characterized by environmentalists as wholly insufficient), and expect to auction off some drilling leases along the Refuge's coastal plain by the end of the year. Environmental groups will file lawsuits to try to block lease sales, and note that any company seeking to drill in the Arctic Refuge "will face enormous reputational, legal and financial risks".
Given that demand and prices of fossil fuels remain depressed, and that exploring and drilling in harsh Arctic conditions would be difficult and expensive, it seems unlikely there will be that much interest from energy companies. Joe Biden has vowed to grant permanent protection to the Refuge if he is elected, but Trump is trying to pre-empt that by ensuring that some lease rights are granted before such protection can be brought about. Just another example of Trump's penchant for brinkmanship and underhand deal-making.
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