ProPublica and the New York Times collaborated on a report about the flight of scientists and environmental protection specialists from the EPA. Trump made clear that he wants to reduce the role of the agency and to restrict its ability to do its job when he hired Scott Pruitt to run it. As Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt had sued EPA many times on behalf of the oil and gas industry. He has busied himself eliminating regulations that protect the environment and pushing out scientists.

Pruitt, Trump, and other administration doubt that climate change is a reality, and they avoid or ban the use of the term.

“More than 700 people have left the Environmental Protection Agency since President Donald Trump took office, a wave of departures that puts the administration nearly a quarter of the way toward its goal of shrinking the agency to levels last seen during the Reagan administration.

“Of the employees who have quit, retired or taken a buyout package since the beginning of the year, more than 200 are scientists. An additional 96 are environmental protection specialists, a broad category that includes scientists as well as others experienced in investigating and analyzing pollution levels. Nine department directors have departed the agency as well as dozens of attorneys and program managers. Most of the employees who have left are not being replaced.

“The departures reflect poor morale and a sense of grievance at the agency, which has been criticized by Trump and top Republicans in Congress as bloated and guilty of regulatory overreach. That unease is likely to deepen following revelations that Republican campaign operatives were using the Freedom of Information Act to request copies of emails from EPA officials suspected of opposing Trump and his agenda.

“The cuts deepen a downward trend at the agency that began under the Obama administration in response to Republican-led budget constraints that left the agency with about 15,000 employees at the end of his term. The reductions have accelerated under Trump, who campaigned on a promise to dramatically scale back the EPA, leaving only what he called “little tidbits” in place. Current and former employees say unlike during the Obama years, the agency has no plans to replace workers, and they expect deeper cuts to come.”

The Trump administration has made clear that it disapproves of the Paris Climate Accord. So long as Trump is in office, there will be no effort to address environmental issues, and the fossil fuel industry will have free reign to pursue its goals.