Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Dayenu founder and CEO, runs down the climate damage from the first year of the Trump presidency (part two). Spoiler: Not good. Not good at all.
Video transcript
What can we say after a year of the Trump presidency, part two?
We can say this: he delivers on his promises. And when it comes to climate, his promise has been clear: boost profits for the fossil fuel industry and undermine clean energy.
In 2024, he asked oil and gas executives to raise $1 billion for his campaign – and promised he’d grant their policy wish list. The payback clock has been ticking since.
Here are five Big Oil giveaways just so far.
ONE: Deny the truth.
President Trump has pushed the lie that climate change is a hoax. More to the point – he’s denied that emissions from fossil fuels are a problem. And then, he’s worked to slash any restraints on emissions.
He’s brazenly built policy around that. Putting avowed climate deniers at the head of crucial agencies. Firing hundreds of climate scientists and experts. Deleting and changing environmental data stored on federal websites.
TWO: Prop up a doomed industry.
Remember the “Big Beautiful Bill?” It contained $40 billion in new federal subsidies for oil, gas, and coal. That’s right – we’re using taxpayer dollars to prop up an industry that is cooking the planet.
THREE: Blood for oil.
The U.S. illegally invaded a sovereign country BECAUSE it has enormous oil reserves. The President pulled no punches about why we crashed our way into Venezuela.
Needless to say, spilling the blood of innocent people in the ruthless pursuit of profit is horrible – it’s also not necessary. We could get off oil and onto clean energy.
As my friend Phil puts it, “The great thing about solar energy is you don’t have to invade another country to access it.”
FOUR: Deny the science and law of environmental protection
The EPA has now abandoned any pretense of holding true to its founding mission of protecting human health and the environment.
It’s now officially dedicated to unleashing industry from all restraints – leaving it free to poison our air and water and land.
Right now, it’s about to announce the repeal of the Endangerment Finding – the scientific proof that enabled the government to establish rules to reduce emissions and safeguard our future.
FIVE: Sabotage clean energy solutions.
Look, the future is built on clean energy. Other countries have embraced solar and wind as more affordable and cleaner.
Yet Trump and his cronies clawed back billions of dollars of investments in these technologies, setting us back years and dooming us to do things like – invade Venezuela.
These five are just the tip of the (disappearing) iceberg.
This administration has also withdrawn from landmark international agreements, opened precious public lands to plunder, dismantled our ability to respond to climate disasters, limited our environmental reviews (which mostly harms people in frontline communities) – and so much more.
Needless to say, we have a lot of work ahead of us.
But across the country people are coming together to fight back.
In a time that can feel so bleak, we are reminded lo b’shamayin hi – it is not in heaven, but in our hands and in our heart and we can do it.
But only if we come together in all our people and power.
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