There has been a flurry of executive orders by Trump
Trump’s emergency order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) was enforcated by two congressional bills in 1948
As expected, Trump also signed an order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency responsible for global health that the new president alleges mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also said that the United States pays a disproportionate amount of dues to the agency compared with other member nations.
In 1948, a joint resolution was passed by both houses of Congress, stating that the US needed to give the WHO one year’s notice if they wanted to withdraw.
drawing from WHO makes us vulnerable, and more fragile, in the world. “You can’t shut down a border against a pathogen. It’s important for WHO to put out fires before they get to the United States. And we also need WHO’s vast network to provide us with the information about mutations and viruses that we need to develop life-saving vaccines and medical treatments.”
However, Gostin and others are particularly concerned about the impacts of a US withdrawal on the country’s ability to manage the ongoing threat of infectious diseases. The WHO has a long-reaching remit that also includes advice on essential medicines, public policy recommendations on everything from tobacco to drug use, and road safety, but it is most important when it comes to coordinating the international response to a potentially problematic new disease.
Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders after he was inaugurated as President of the United States on Monday. The orders — which direct the actions of the federal government but cannot change existing laws — are designed to shift policies and priorities on several scientific issues, including climate and public health. They also aim to cut the government workforce, which includes scientists, and potentially reduce its authority.
Comparatively, Trump will have an easy time withdrawing the United States from the Paris accord, which commits nearly 200 countries to limiting Earth’s warming to 1.5–2 °C above pre-industrial levels. The rules of the agreement were the reason why the administration had to wait more than three years before withdrawing from the pact. The man who succeeded Trump as US president, Joe Biden, quickly returned. This time, the exit process will require only one year.
Trump’s emergency order, one of many focusing on energy issues, would allow US agencies to identify energy projects where federal regulations and laws protecting, for instance endangered species, are holding up progress, according to the president. Agencies would then be authorized to move more quickly to approve projects, including through the use of “any lawful emergency authorities”.
But there are limits to what Trump can accomplish, because in many ways, “the economy trumps Trump”, says Mark Maslin, an Earth-system scientist at University College London. For instance, Maslin says, it’s now much cheaper to invest in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind than it used to be, and that means that investments in those technologies will continue.
The US quitting the Paris agreement is a concern for many scholars, because they think it will reduce pressure on other countries to act. This follows Earth reaching its highest temperature on record last year, and scientists say that countries need to do more to curb emissions if they are to achieve the global goal.
US President Donald Trump signed an emergency order to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday. In 1948, a joint resolution was passed by both Houses of Congress, stating that US needed to give the WHO one year’s notice if they wanted to withdraw. The emergency order will allow US Agencies to identify energy projects where federal regulations and laws are holding up progress.