It has saved Americans a lot of dollars (several hundred billion) over the past decade and saved the planet from gigantic quantities of toxic gases (several million tons). Yet Donald Trump has decided to cut off a large part of the funding to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the government agency that since 1992 has supported, in collaboration with private companies, Energy Star, the energy efficiency program for electrical, electronic and construction. A bit like the European energy labeling (which is stricter and more mandatory).
And, despite being voluntary, it involved US and Asian manufacturers and brought into American homes appliances that consume much much less than those of years ago and that emit less CO2. But Donald Trump is of little interest to this, on the contrary, it is considered an obstacle to the free market - especially that of highly polluting products - and then, as he officially declared, it is necessary to save millions of dollars to strengthen funding for the defense ministry. Thus Trump cuts 3.200 jobs out of 15 in the EPA, taking away over 2,6 billion dollars to be allocated to armaments.
FREEDOM TO POLLUTE
The authoritative Twice sadly communicated what will most likely be the latest Energy Star awards, the American Whirlpool, the Turkish Beko, the trade chains Best Buy, The Home Depot, Sears Holding and National Marketing Group, awarded for having produced and sold highly efficient appliances and technologies.
Rather than rewarded, they could be punished because without this barrier linked to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, the American market will be completely open to products of very low quality, highly polluting and with very low prices.
Someone in the White House has forgotten that Energy Star and the European energy labeling program have long functioned as a competitive barrier, finally denying the economic rule of the bad product which chases away the good one because it is cheap.
Energy labelling, by saving the equivalent of 10-15 medium-sized polluting power plants in the first 3-4 years in Europe, has forced even the "bad" producers to adapt.
Source: lacasadipaola.it
