Trump admin dismisses Endangered Species List as “Hotel California”
13 days ago
- #Biodiversity
- #Endangered Species Act
- #Conservation Policy
- The Eagles' song 'Hotel California' is used metaphorically by US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to describe the Endangered Species Act (ESA), suggesting species rarely leave the list once added.
- Burgum claims 97% of species on the ESA list remain there, criticizing the law for focusing on regulation over innovation.
- The Trump administration has targeted the ESA, arguing its regulations hinder development and 'energy domination,' with executive orders aimed at easing restrictions for businesses, especially fossil fuel companies.
- Conservatives argue the ESA is ineffective at biodiversity recovery, but biologists and experts attribute delays to insufficient funding and political instability rather than the law itself.
- Experts like David Wilcove highlight that delayed protections until species are in 'dire straits' make recovery and delisting difficult, exacerbated by climate change and habitat loss.