Since Donald Trump won the election, Sierra Club members and supporters like you have sent us thousands of great questions about our role over the next four years. While none of us will know for sure what the next four years will look like, we're starting to see some hints about what we'll face and what we can do to protect our air, water, climate, and future.

Here are some responses to your most commonly asked questions:

Question: We urgently need to transition away from fossil fuels to a 100 percent clean energy future. Is there any hope that will still happen under Trump?

Answer: The clean energy transition is already underway. A Trump presidency will try to slow our progress, but it will not stop it. Last year, the United States added three times as much solar capacity as natural gas. With solar and wind becoming cheaper than oil and gas, market forces are going to continue this transition. We need to keep fighting at all levels of government, especially in our cities and states, to make sure it happens as quickly and equitably as possible.

There is such wide support for clean energy (including from some Republicans!) that Trump will have a difficult time repealing investments like those in the Inflation Reduction Act. A whopping 84 percent of voters support expanding clean energy investments, and 65 percent are concerned about the effects of climate change in their community. Read Sierra magazine's article about why Trump can't stop the clean energy revolution.

Question: Project 2025 will make the landscape politically different than before. What will the Sierra Club do to protect our natural resources, our communities, and environmental justice?

Answer: The dangerous policies outlined in Project 2025 will increase harmful pollution, kill jobs, hit families with higher costs, and further exacerbate already deadly climate change, if they're implemented. The energy section of Project 2025 was written by oil and gas lobbyists to ensure that fossil fuel CEOs reap the benefits while everyday people pay the price.

This new administration is more organized than they were eight years ago, but so are we. During his last term, we filed more than 300 lawsuits against the Trump administration, holding off the worst of his attempts to gut bedrock environmental protections and put our communities in harm's way. We kept the pressure on banks and big corporations to clean up their act. And we mobilized our 64 chapters and volunteers nationwide to make progress at the state and local levels. We're ready to do all this again and more to fight back, but we can't do it alone – we'll need the support of advocates like you. Share how you're excited to get involved in 2025 here.

Question: Is there anything the Biden administration can still do to safeguard our environment?

Answer: Yes, the Biden administration can use the powers of the presidency until the day Trump takes office -- and thanks to our pressure he has already taken actions like banning offshore drilling and designating new national monuments.

Some of the actions President Biden can still take include:

1. Speeding up the clean energy transition by disbursing all remaining climate and clean energy funds passed in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
2. Blocking fracked gas, known as LNG, by denying six dangerous methane gas export facilities.
3. Declaring new national monuments including Black Wall Street in Oklahoma, Great Bend of the Gila in Arizona, and Kw'tsàn in California.

You can urge President Biden to take these actions here.

Question: I've only heard the bad! Did anything positive come out of November's election?

Answer: The results of the federal elections were far from what we hoped for -- though not nearly the landslide that Republicans and some media pundits would like you to believe. (Trump won less than 50 percent of the popular vote, smaller margins than Biden won in 2020.) Locally, we saw some decisive victories for our climate and planet. Here's a short, noncomprehensive, list of local environmental victories from the 2024 election.

1. In California, voters approved $10 billion from climate priorities, including wildfire prevention, clean water, and climate resiliency measures.
2. In Washington, voters blocked an effort to roll back the state's climate and conservation policies.
3. In New York, voters approved $6 billion for clean water actions
4. In Minnesota, voters renewed $2 billion for land and water conservation.
5. Nationwide, 65% of voters who participated in the election said they were concerned about the effects of climate change in their community.

Broader progressive issues remained popular too. Ballot initiatives for abortion protections, raising the minimum wage, providing paid parental leave, and union protections received a lot of support across the country.

Question: What practical steps can we take to resist Trump's agenda?

Answer: Stay involved, alert, and ready. Get to know your neighbors. Join an organization. A second Trump presidency will be difficult and dangerous. But we are not powerless. As we grieve, we also recommit to fighting back to protect our communities and our future, to do everything we can to block Trump and his extreme agenda, and to defend and build on the progress we've made. As we mount our defense for the next four years, we'll call on supporters like you Friend. You can raise your hand here to be the first to get updated on key moments to act.

While the federal government is essential to addressing the climate crisis, it's far from the only way we can make change. Cities, counties, and states wield considerable power to chart their own course. They can and will lead the way.

Question: Will the Sierra Club be working with other environmental and human rights groups to fight back?

Answer: Yes! We do and will continue to work very closely with national, regional, and local partners. No organization alone can build the movement we need to defend our progress and fight back against the Trump administration.

Sierra Club is a member of the Climate Action Campaign -- a vibrant coalition of a dozen national environmental, public health, and environmental justice groups. Our shared goal is to reduce climate pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy and a sustainable society in ways that support justice, jobs, improved health, and quality of life for all.

We're also a member of the Equitable and Just National Climate Platform, which is a collaborative effort between environmental justice and national environmental groups to develop equitable national climate policy ideas and advocate for shared policy goals. These spaces will be a hub for the work to fight the Trump agenda over the coming years.

Question: I want to take action locally. What are Sierra Club chapters and how do I join one?

Answer: Sierra Club is a national organization with 64 chapters nationwide. We've built a national community of volunteers, advocates, and grassroots activists who organize at the local and state level. If you would like to get involved in environmental issues near you, we encourage you to reach out to your local Chapter to learn about volunteer opportunities today! Find your chapter here.

Question: I'm feeling fired up and I want to do something meaningful, but I don't have a lot of time. What can I start doing today?

Answer: There's a lot you can do even with a small amount of time! In fact, we're launching virtual "Climate Action Hours" for busy people to get the latest updates on Trump's agenda and take meaningful action against it – in just one hour each month. These will be held on Zoom, so you can join from wherever you live and take action alongside hundreds of other Sierra Club advocates. Actions might include calling your federal representatives, sharing actions on social media, writing a letter to the editor, practicing storytelling, and more.

Sign up today for the first virtual "Climate Action Hour" on January 29th.

Question: I'm feeling sad, exhausted, angry, and demoralized. I don't think anything we do will make a difference.

Answer: This is a really hard time, and we're up against a lot. The grief we feel is a reflection of our love for the planet and our communities, and it's important to hold on to that. Take time to feel, and to rest. Spend time outside. Check-in on your loved ones. Drink water. Ask for help when you need it. The work will be here when you're ready. Here's a great resource with more ideas for self and community care.

You are not alone. Together, we will be a force of nature.

Thank you,
Sierra Club