Michael Moore says Donald Trump just began the 'extinction of human life on Earth'

US President signs executive order rolling back Obama-era rules aimed at tackling global warming

Michael Moore describes order as a 'defining moment in the history of mankind' (CNN)

Donald Trump just began the “extinction” of human life on Earth, according to Michael Moore.

The US President signed an executive order on Tuesday that rolls back Obama-era rules aimed at tackling global warming.

The order will look to suspend, rescind or flag for review six of Barack Obama’s climate change measures in an effort to boost the use of fossil fuels.

In a Facebook post, Mr Moore said: “Historians in the near future (because that may be the only future we have) will mark today, March 28, 2017, as the day the extinction of human life on Earth began.”

As part of the roll-back, Mr Trump will trigger a review of the Clean Power Plan, which restricts greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. The billionaire announced the measure as an “end to the war on coal”.

Mr Moore described the action as a “defining moment in the history of mankind”, and said the 70-year-old was “declaring an act of war on the planet and its inhabitants”.

“The one silver lining here is that Trump can't kill the planet; the planet wants to live and has a long history of wiping out any real or perceived threats.

“With the actions Trump is taking today, the planet is paying attention - and the planet will make sure it dispenses with a species hell-bent on destroying Earth.”

Mr Trump has previously called global warming a “hoax” invented by the Chinese to reduce American economic competitiveness.

Anne Kelly, Senior Director at Ceres, a coalition of investors and businesses that promote sustainability, told the The Independent the rollback of the Clean Power Plan would hurt job creation in the renewable sector and send “the wrong signal” to investors in the private sector.

For the first time, 2016 saw private investment in the renewable energy industry outpace investment in the oil and gas industry.

Trip von Noppen, president of Green group Earthjustice, said the renewable marketplace “is going to go forward regardless of the White House does”.