I had a hard time writing the annual charts and graphs email this year. We started this tradition at the end of 2017, the end of the first year of Trump's first term in office. And I think it’s still worth doing, because one of the truisms of the climate crisis is that you can't fight it if you aren't honest and informed about the science. And I still think it's worth visualizing and verbalizing US and international climate emissions, policies, where we need to go, and how we might get there. But the hard part this year was that we also use this to show you how radical, digitally supported, non-violent direct action is making a difference, in the hopes that it will inspire a few of you to make a year end gift.

I write a lot of emails every year, and I don't mind asking for money when we need help with specific projects – a training or an action or just delivering a bunch of letters to Congress or some other decision maker. But this year I didn't want to ask for money. Not because I think what we're doing is any less important – but because "general support" contributions feel like a bad joke when we're operating in a fascist petro state.

So here's my hope and my offer for this year: 2025 sucked and, as we'll show with charts and graphs, the Trump regime is now the main antagonist to global climate action. The single best thing you can do for the climate and our common home, is to help topple this regime. So we're going to fight like hell to do that next year – and if you've got a little extra cash, or you want to invest in climate action that’s focussed on disruption, movement building, and non violent direct action, please chip in here. Or, if you've saved your payment information with ActionNetwork, use these links and your donation will go through immediately:

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The full text of this annual message is too long for an email, but I'll give you the gist and the charts and graphs, and you can read the whole thing for more context.

As I think everyone knows the Trump regime has pulled out of all international climate pacts and agreements, and is actively attacking the transition to renewable energy here and around the world. While they couldn't undo all the progress that's been made over the last few years – US emissions are still down from their peak around 2008- but global emissions are still rising. As the next two graphs show.

A graph showing global climate emissions still rising

The policies put in place under President Biden, like the Inflation Reduction Act, were still not enough, but they were bending the curve in the right direction. Trump hasn't just abandoned those goals, he's repealed the laws, trashed the supply chains, poisoned International alliances and appears ready to declare war for oil. What's at stake here isn’t just whether the US says it will act on climate or does so, but whether the US can prevent the entire rest of the world from acting in time. And here at the end of 2025, the jury is still out.

The reason we're framing this as a fight for the future of global emissions as opposed to a domestic policy issue (clearly it's both), is that the other big storyline of 2025 and climate change has been to explosive growth of renewable energy, especially solar. That's why we spent so much time fighting alongside Sun Day this year, and pushing pieces of policy and local action to boost renewables where we could. For the first time since the industrial revolution, renewable electricity is genuinely the cheapest, easiest form of energy to produce. And it's re-shaping global markets, global climate goals, and the power of the global south – literally, in terms of electrons, and politically in terms of who calls the shots and makes investments in our collective future. Just check out this graph from Science magazine:

A graph showing surging Solar and wind power adoption around the world

But Trump didn't just repeal all the Biden era programs, he's attacked science, the rule of law, and the ability of the US Government to function. Everything about the last year has been worse than we feared. And in the face of the resulting scarcity – of hope, of electricity, of agency for decent human beings to do something, ANYTHING to make the cruelty stop – many climate groups are turning on each other.

If we're honest, and we try to be in these year end data missives, then we have to admit that the worst has already happened: The United States of America is a fossil fueled fascist petrostate.

So, as in past years, this is not a time to clutch hope like a lottery ticket, praying for luck. The old world is ending, climate and all. New worlds are possible, but building them will be hard. And since Trump has slammed the door to progress in our face, we'll have to wield hope like an axe, and break down the damned door again and again.

The most important piece of panic and hope I can leave you with at the end of 2025 is this: the moments when we were united this year – No Kings, corporate boycotts, the big marches and rallies – were the moments when Trump was weakest. And weakening this regime is the key to saving the planet, or what's left of it. So summon your courage and steady your nerves, because in 2026, we need to do everything possible to disrupt, derail, and weaken this regime.

We made cracks in Trump's pillars of power this year – next year, we aim to topple kings and regimes. If you think so too, we'd be grateful for a donation to support our work. We'd be even more grateful for you just to stay engaged – read the emails we send you and take action where you can.

Thanks for all you do,

Drew & the 198 methods crew

There are too many footnotes in the blog post to share them all here, but here's the links to the three charts above.

For the rest of the citations and analysis, check out the blog post!