Shortly after starting his second term, President Trump – whohas referredto climate change as “a fictional issue” and urged petroleum executives tocontribute$1 billion for his 2024 campaign —issued executive ordersincreasing coal mining and offshore oil drilling, preventing the implementation of state and local regulations that limit carbon emissions, and reducing the funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In July, EPA chief Lee Zeldinmoved to rescindthe agency’s 2009 “endangerment finding” which stated that emissions from burning fossil fuels pose a risk to public health. Officials mentioned that the decisionwas basedpartly based on a report from five climate skeptics commissioned by the Department of Energy. Devoted to eliminating regulations on vehicle emissions, lowering restrictions on power plant emissions, and releases of carbon dioxide and methane, ZeldindenouncedIndividuals who, under the guise of climate change, are prepared to financially ruin the nation … and essentially eliminate many parts of our economy through regulation.
The Department of the Interior is currently holding “discussions” thatcause lengthy delayson permits for wind and solar initiatives (which generated 16 percent of U.S. power in 2024).
The Trump administration’s attack on what Zeldin referred to as “climate change religion” is built upon clearly false beliefs and claims. Global warming is not “a scam.” Earth’s surface and ocean temperaturesare increasingat an alarming pace. The ice sheets are disappearing, sea levels are increasing, and severe weather events are occurring more often. Furthermore, the advantages of tackling climate change surpass the expenses for the economies ofdeveloped and developingnations — and to the well-being of hundreds of millions of individuals across the globe.
Numerous research projects carried out globallyconfirmthat human actions, particularly the combustion of fossil fuels, are causing negative effects on the climate. Approximately 97 percent of climate scientistsagree. According to a specialist, there is no new evidencehas emergedthat could in any manner undermine the scientific foundation of the endangerment determination.
A nationwide climate evaluation reportpresents2,000 pages of proof indicating that increasing temperatures are harmful to health. StudyindicatesEach rise of 0.1 degree Celsius pushes roughly 100 million people into “unprecedented heat exposure.” In the United States, extreme heat currently causes more deaths than any other “natural” disaster.
Bill McKibben points out in his latest book“Here Comes The Sun”Numerous factors are frequently overlooked when assessing the economic costs associated with different energy sources. For instance, consider the impact of insurance. Wildfires, hurricanes, and floods have led many insurance companies to cease providing coverage for homes located in high-risk zones. According to a report from the Senate Budget Committee, the percentage of homeowners in the U.S. without insurance rose from 5 percent in 2019 to 12 percent in 2024. For those Americans who still manage to obtain a policy, their premiums are rising at a rate 40 percent faster than inflation.
A British actuarial society estimatedA 50% reduction in worldwide economic output and significant drops in “essential services” by 2070, should temperatures keep increasing.
Instead of draining the nation’s resources, solar, wind, and battery technology have become economical options compared to traditional fossil fuels. Highlighting that oil and coal waste heat and release harmful emissions, McKibben commends renewable energy as “the Costco of power, affordable and accessible in large quantities.” A solar panel manufactured in 2024 can produce electricity for many years, while oil and gas need to be replaced every few months.
In 2024, 92.5 percent of new electricity generated globally and 96 percent in the United States came from sources that do not emit carbon. California is currently using 44 percent less natural gas compared to its usage in 2023. “In a red-state cocktail party fact,” McKibben points out that the biggest solar panel factory in the Western Hemisphere is situated in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia congressional district. Texas, known as “the spiritual home of fossil fuels,” is set to install twice the amount of clean energy in 2025 as California and Arizona combined.
McKibben also references data showing that renewable energy sources are generating more employment opportunities than the hazardous and polluting jobs that have been lost in the coal, oil, and gas sectors.
China, it should be noted, has taken advantage of the opportunity, and is now “the Saudi Arabia of solar power.” By 2024, seven Chinese companies were generating more energy than the once legendary oil industry.Seven SistersIn the past two years, China invested $329 billion in clean technology supply chains, whereas the U.S. and Europe together allocated $29 billion. China also holds a leading position in the global electric vehicle market.
America has the potential to emerge as a strong competitor. According to surveys from 2022, 70 percent of Americans supported renewable energy sources over traditional fossil fuels. However, McKibben admits that, with Trump in charge, the U.S. might regress into an “island of internal combustion” and face “global irrelevance.”
McKibben, an occasional optimist who has authored 20 books on climate change, believes we have one final opportunity to halt the rise in global warming and “rebuild civilization on a more reasonable foundation, after we have put out the fires that currently both fuel and endanger it.”
“It’s not what you don’t know that causes trouble,” a quote often linked to Mark Twain states, “it’s what you are certain is true but isn’t.” Keeping that in mind, here’s hoping that with support from more knowledgeable American voters and the global community, the U.S. will make a complete change.
Glenn C. Altschuler holds the position of Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Emeritus Professor of American Studies at Cornell University.
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