The State of the Climate Fight as We Enter Trump's Second Term

Written by Jamie McGonagill, XR Boston

The state of the climate is dire. Government agencies have already confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on human record. This month, after an extremely warm summer and fall, and an unusually dry winter caused by the climate crisis, wildfires in California have destroyed more than 12,000 structures and charred more than 60 square miles. At least 25 human lives are lost. The fires are still burning.

A few months ago, the Southeastern United States was devastated by two hurricanes, which took at least 256 human lives. In Hurricane Helene, multiple North Carolina towns were destroyed, including the town of Asheville, 277 miles from the coast. To put that into perspective, that is farther inland than the entire state of Massachusetts by nearly 100 miles. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton become the second-most intense hurricane ever formed in the Gulf of Mexico. It made landfall in vibrant and historic Sarasota Florida.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a third-generation Floridian. I was born and raised in Sarasota, and my family still lives there. My father’s place of work was flooded by Hurricane Milton, which was difficult to focus on, because my stepmother had gone missing while traveling through North Carolina when Hurricane Helene suddenly changed course. She survived, and my father’s employers will rebuild, but we cannot pretend that the climate crisis is not affecting us all, today.

Meanwhile, climate activism is facing serious oppression in the united states. Peaceful activists are receiving trumped-up criminal and civil charges amid mounting evidence of collusion between corporations, lawmakers, and state security forces. For example, 21 members of XR Boston and XR Vermont are still dealing with legal repercussions and court dates for protesting the expansion of Hanscom Field last April.

Trump's Plans for the Climate

Donald Trump has called the climate crisis a “scam.” He has publicly announced plans to pull the USA out of the Paris agreement. The process to leave would take a year from the time Trump triggers it, so it’s not immediate. Under his refrain of “drill, baby, drill,” the president has promised to increase oil and gas extraction, while rolling back many of the climate regulations aimed at reducing emissions.

This expected roll-back includes the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a climate law that dramatically increased federal support for clean energy technology and electric vehicles. However, most of the IRA money for clean energy is going to districts represented by Republican members of Congress. Many of these congress-people oppose a full repeal, which will slow Trump’s efforts.

Trump has also promised to defund federal agencies at the forefront of climate research, including the Environment Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which plays a crucial role in monitoring global temperatures and devising climate models. The NOAA is the organization that provides early warning signs for hurricanes, which allows people to evacuate with enough time to get to safety.

The stakes are high, and the risk is great.

Who Stands To Be Most Affected by the Climate Crisis?

All vulnerable people are becoming more vulnerable due to the climate crisis: Immigrants, the indigenous, black and brown people, the economically challenged, children, the elderly, and women. Unprecedented heat levels are creating unsafe conditions especially for those who work outdoors, children, and the elderly. People with asthma or pulmonary disease are already suffering with poorer air quality.

We learned from North Carolina’s destruction in Hurricane Helene that even landlocked cities and towns are at risk from increasingly frequent and intense storms. Older adults with limited mobility are less likely to adapt or physically respond to an extreme weather event, and are the most likely to suffer in a storm. Lower income people have fewer resources to evacuate from disasters or keep their homes safe from heat waves. Here in New England, warmer years are creating longer seasons for ticks and other disease-spreading insects, so cases of lyme disease are skyrocketing.

However, there are still bright points of hope.

The Supreme Court said last Monday that it will not hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits that seek to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. State governments can also be empowered to do things that the federal government is refusing to do. Massachusetts is part of the United States Climate Alliance, which has committed to upholding the standards of the Paris Agreement, regardless of federal involvement. California has begun sending their own representative to the United Nations climate conference. Massachusetts could do the same. More states can do this, but they won’t do it without pressure.

What Can We Do Now?

We are living in a time when civil disobedience has become a moral imperative. Our lawmakers, even at a state level, have proven their inclination to ignore petitions and polite requests. Arrests are not necessary to get the point across, but disruption is. Extinction Rebellion Boston is one organization that leads free workshops in non-violent direct action, which can be used to protest injustice across the board.

Scientists say that in 2029, Earth will likely breach a key warming threshold. There is no time left for the old methods of change. Drastic action is necessary now. We’re lucky to live in a state with a Governor who sells herself as a “climate leader”, and it is our responsibility to demand that she hold her actions to that image. She has the power to support legislation that will place an immediate ban on new fossil fuel infrastructure, including private airfield expansions, which are a major state driver of climate change.

We have the power to stand where we are not supposed to stand, say what we are not supposed to say, and refuse to leave. We have the power to give those in positions of responsibility no peace until our futures and our children’s futures are safe. We must do this now, because this hurricane season my stepmother might not be so lucky. Your daughter might overheat on a hiking trip. Your best friend could struggle to breathe. Donald Trump is our president now, but there are many more of us than there are of him, and if we all shout, the noise will be deafening.