Nuclear war—or some kind of nuclear disaster—is likewise becoming an increasingly alarming possibility, with Musk’s firings and buyouts also hammering the National Nuclear Safety Administration, the agency that oversees the nation’s nuclear weaponry. The NNSA struggles to maintain staff, and those departing include scientists, engineers, and people trained to transport dangerous materials securely. Last month, many of those fired were rehired after some members of Congress objected to the cuts. But some of the most important experts there are gone for good, having left for better-paying private-sector jobs. Not to mention, the instability of Trump’s foreign policy is inspiring more countries, including South Korea and Germany, to consider getting nuclear weapons of their own, increasing the risk of nuclear holocaust even more.
This seeming indifference to the risk of mass extinction also sheds light on this administration’s catastrophically destructive approach to climate policy: It’s not that they are climate denialists, or foolish yokels who don’t “believe in science.” Instead, perhaps Trump and Musk simply don’t care if any of us live or die. Perhaps that’s why they are working to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, exit the Paris treaty, and undo the Biden administration’s best climate policies, including the green energy projects—mostly in Republican districts—funded by the Inflation Reduction Act.
Not satisfied with ensuring that the government won’t address any root causes of climate change—or even mention the words—Trump–Musk doesn’t even want to protect us from the climate disasters that are already coming: This week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would be eliminated. As with so many of these changes, it’s not clear that the administration has the authority to do that. But given the increase in deadly climate disasters, from superstorms to wildfires, the effort to kill FEMA seems almost certain to also kill people.
