Dear friend,
I'm not going to sugarcoat it: The 2024 election will have serious consequences for climate change, preserving clean air and clean water, protecting lands and wildlife, and, in general, maintaining a livable planet. The mood has been grim, but defiant. And the environmental movement is already busy mobilizing to fight Trump & Co.'s retrograde agenda.
Last night, Sierra Club leaders came together in a mass call with our supporters to discuss the election outcome and show our path forward. More than 7,000 of you raised your hand for the discussion, and we're seeing thousands more take immediate action. I left that mass call feeling energized and newly inspired, confident that our organization and our movement are ready to continue the march for climate justice no matter what
We know there's a huge difference between today and the original Trump election of 2016 when it comes to climate change and the environment. But as Melinda Pierce, the Sierra Club's national legislative director, told me. “We are not unprepared. We have been to this rodeo before.”
In my latest Sierra magazine article, I outlined a few things to keep in mind during the weeks and months ahead. Here are two:
Trump 2.0 Threatens to Be More Ruthlessly Focused Than Before
Trump 1.0 pulled us out of the Paris Climate Agreement; he opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling; he rolled back Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. He infamously called climate change a “hoax.”
Trump 2.0 threatens to be even more efficient at attacking environmental protections, and much of it will depend on who he appoints in his administration this time around.
The Silver Lining: States Are Leading the Way
Climate progress IS happening at the state and local level. The biggest environmental win in this election came in Washington State, where voters protected the state's strongest-in-the-nation climate law (which has raised billions of dollars for clean energy projects). Meanwhile, in South Dakota, environmentalists worked across the aisle to reject a measure making it easier to permit a pipeline. This is hopeful news for our grassroots movement–with 64 chapters in every corner of the country–to keep going in these fights.
You can read my latest article for Sierra magazine here and learn about my other election takeaways. | 
