Trump’s ‘God Squad’ pits energy vs. endangered species, but it’s a false choice – protecting wildlife can be good for business |
There’s a well-worn debate in U.S. politics that goes something like this: Would you rather have abundant and affordable energy or a clean, healthy planet where wildlife can flourish?
It sounds like an either/or choice, but it doesn’t have to be.
Many corporate leaders, including those I’ve worked with, know that wildlife conservation can also be good business.
That’s worth remembering as the Trump administration prepares to convene, for the first time in over 30 years, a special committee known as the “God Squad” that has the power to override one of the nation’s most important environmental protection laws: the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
What is the God Squad?
The Endangered Species Act requires that federal agencies avoid any action that is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any species listed under the act. That includes federal permits for development, mining, drilling or logging.
To comply with the law, companies can be required to take actions to avoid harming protected species. Those steps can be frustrating when they add delays and costs to already costly development projects.
Early in the law’s history, Congress amended it to include an exemption. It authorized the creation of the Endangered Species Act Committee, made up of federal agency leaders, which could grant exemptions to this prohibition on federal actions considered likely to risk extinction of a listed species.
That committee – the God Squad – includes seven members, and a vote may succeed only if five or more committee members agree. The six permanent members are the secretaries of the interior, agriculture and Army; the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, and the administrators of the Environmental........