President Trump has revoked federal rules on water conservation and plastic use, stirring concern among experts who warn that the U.S. faces worsening water shortages and growing health risks from plastic pollution.
William S. Becker writes for The Hill.
In short:
- Trump’s recent executive actions removed efficiency standards for water fixtures and reversed a Biden-era plan to phase out single-use plastics in national parks.
- The U.S. is facing severe water scarcity; groundwater is rapidly depleting, and overconsumption is causing some cities to sink, compounding flood risks from climate change.
- Microplastics have infiltrated the human body and natural environments, while recycling rates remain dismally low, with most plastics ending up as litter or pollution.
Why this matters:
The United States is straining under the twin burdens of freshwater depletion and plastic pollution. As groundwater shrinks, communities from California to the Midwest are struggling with droughts that threaten farming, drinking water, and entire ecosystems. Meanwhile, the plastic crisis deepens. Tiny particles from packaging, containers, and bottles are now being detected in human organs, food, and water. At the same time, the fossil fuel industry is doubling down on plastics as its next big product, even as public lands drown in litter and marine ecosystems suffocate. Every rollback in policy widens the gap between what we need to survive and what powerful interests are willing to sacrifice for profit.
Learn more:
- Petrochemical plants send millions of pounds of pollutants into waterways each year: Report
- Plastics are showing up in human bodies and may be linked to deadly diseases. What can be done?
- How the plastic industry undermines democracy by blocking bans
- Op-ed: A stalled global plastic treaty threatens our future fertility
