Historian Douglas Brinkley Discusses Trump’s Environmental Stance

Douglas Brinkley addresses the crowd during

 the discussion following his lecture

Photo by Katie Welch

By Katie Welch

Last night, Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University and CNN commentator, shared with people in San Antonio his outlook for the national park system under the Trump administration, during a lecture at Trinity University.

Brinkley, who authored several books about American political and environmental history, came to Trinity's campus to talk about Theodore Roosevelt and the history of environmental conservation in the United States.

In front of a crowd of over 150 people, most of whom were members of the general public, Brinkley's talk focused on Roosevelt's legacy and his protection of national parks.

After his lecture, Brinkley was joined by Laura Huffman, director of the Nature Conservancy of Texas, in a conversation about the legacy within the contemporary context--namely, the impact of Donald Trump's presidency to environmentalism.

"I may be the only person who got to ask Donald Trump a question about national parks," Brinkley said, eliciting chuckles from the crowd.

When Huffman pushed for his forecast on the future of conservation under Trump, Brinkley had a grim outlook. He suggested that Trump would roll back climate change efforts from previous administrations, acknowledging that Trump is "not going to be great" on environmentalism.

He also worried that the Trump administration is only "interested in a quick profit," whereas environmental conservation is a long-term plan. This could lead to the administration opening up lands for drilling and fracking.

Brinkley drew comparisons between current leaders and the environmentalism of Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, both of whom were known for their radical approach to conservation. He noted the drastic difference between Theodore Roosevelt and Donald Trump's stances, adding, "I'm on the Rooseveltian side."

Despite his concerns, Brinkley ended the discussion on a positive note, saying he felt optimistic about the role of environmental organizations. He urged people to view environmentalism as a nonpartisan issue rather than a liberal concern.

For some Trinity students in attendance, his discussion about the future of national parks was personal. Cierra Jay, a sophomore and double major in international affairs and history, has been looking into career paths involving conservation. She was worried about President Trump's recent clashes with the National Parks Service. "I know [the NPS] had a hiring freeze this summer," she said. "I applied and all of my emails back basically said, that's the reason you didn't get this internship.”

Aida Kajs, a sophomore biology major, on the other hand, echoed Brinkley’s optimism about environmental organizations. "NGO's are going to be more important than ever," she said.

Catherine Worley, another sophomore biology major, agreed. Although she was similarly worried, she said that she is hoping for positive impact from the grassroots.