By Kobi Schneider (he/him), Federal Policy Lead for Youth v. Oil
In an unexpected twist, former Republican president Donald Trump has wrenched control of the White House from the Democrats, starting his historic second term. He quickly released a flurry of executive orders targeting progressive initiatives in America, including environmental policy.
In his first month of office, Trump pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement, withdrew from the World Health Organization, withheld leases for sustainable wind projects, and declared a National Energy Emergency to shift the country away from renewable sources (Holland and Knight). He also vowed to ‘drill baby, drill’ and tap into America’s oil reserves. This is a dismal record, considering 2024 was the world’s hottest year on record (Climate.gov). But progressive organizations have quickly mobilized to fight him and his disastrous policies.
Over the past few days, protests have rocked major American cities, demanding Trump reverse course with his hard-right policies. Grassroots organizations like SanDiego350 have begun the long grueling fight to take America back and achieve climate justice. And we’re winning. Already, progressive California Governor Gavin Newsom approved ‘Trump-proof’ laws to protect the environment and those affected by Trump’s regime (Politico). New York recently passed a superfund bill to make polluters pay for the damages they cause (Ny.gov), and other states are expected to follow suit. Together, we will fight against the current administration and restore justice to the planet.