President Trump’s denial of climate change has him at war with California. Their battle over fuel emission standards has divided the auto industry as well as drivers.
Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW North America have made a secret deal with California. “There’s no secret that blindsided the White House,” says Juliet Eilperin, who covers national affairs and environmental policy for the Washington Post. She reports that General Motors and other carmakers are sticking with President Trump for fear of retaliation.
She adds that the whole industry wants certainty, and the situation is contentious as Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are trading insults on Twitter. She says a lot will depend on what happens in court, or whether Trump gets reelected.
Meanwhile, 11,000 scientists worldwide have signed onto a warning: Earth faces a “climate emergency.” Eilperin says many had not been willing to go public -- for fear that they’d appear political rather than academic. But as evidence becomes “more and more stark… scientists are taking more of a public stand.”