We all recognized Trump's election would be bad for climate programs, but many of us seriously underestimated the ferocity of his actions to slash funding and regulations. He is eviscerating the EPA, freezing funding for clean energy projects, damaging agencies like NOAA, FEMA, and NIH, and censoring “climate change” out of government documents and websites which renders them unusable by researchers, grant applicants and government scientists. Beyond these federal efforts, he is challenging state programs to promote renewables and scaring private investments away from the renewable energy market. 

 

All this is happening within the larger context of blatant threats to the very foundations of our democracy (e.g., free speech, rule of law, human rights) and to core parts of our society (e.g., economy, health care, education), making it hard for climate-concerned people such as ourselves to stay focused on climate change. But persevere we must. While we face a myriad of problems in this country, the climate crisis is different because its impact is permanent, the damage from continuing fossil fuel emissions only gets worse and it cannot be undone.

 

We recognize we must push back against the many unconstitutional, illegal, and inhumane actions of the Trump administration and we agree with conservative columnist David Brooks who recently proclaimed:

 

“It is time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. It's time for Americans in universities, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he's going to be stopped is if he's confronted by some movement that possesses rival power.”

 

As part of this uprising, we still must work to keep climate in the forefront. It has never been more important to speak out – write letters to the editor, post electronically, support Amherst's sustainability efforts, do whatever to let everyone know how important the climate issue is to you...and as you join those rallies protesting the Trump administration, bring along a sign about climate change.