Angelo Villagomez vs. Trump’s Ocean Policies

About this episode

The episode features a discussion with Angelo Villagomez about the impact of the Trump administration's ocean policies and the importance of activism in marine conservation.

On the latest episode of Rising Tide, hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols-Goldstein sit down with Angelo Villagomez, Senior Ocean Fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C. — a man who has spent his career turning conviction into policy at the edges of the map. A longtime activist and advocate for community and indigenous governance, Villagomez was a central force behind the establishment of the Mariana Trench National Marine Monument, doing the hard, unglamorous work of coalition-building from the ground up while based in Saipan, deep in the western Pacific. The conversation turns, as it must, to the present dangers. The Trump administration has set its sights on the nation's marine monuments, thrown open the door to deep-sea mining with reckless enthusiasm, and pursued what can only be described as a vendetta against offshore wind — apparently terrified of a wind-spill — while greasing every available skid for oil and gas expansion. Meanwhile, the institutional backbone of American ocean science, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is being quietly hollowed out from within. But Villagomez and his hosts don't stop at the diagnosis. The…

People in this episode

Hosts: David Helvarg, Vicki Nichols-Goldstein

Guest: Angelo Villagomez

Topics covered

• ocean policy
• activism
• marine conservation
• politics
• indigenous governance
• deep-sea mining

Keywords

• ocean policies
• marine monuments
• deep-sea mining
• activism
• voting
• environmental policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for American Progress, Trump administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Places: Saipan, Mariana Trench National Marine Monument, western Pacific

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