When former reality TV star and real estate mogul Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016, many thought: “How bad will the next 4 years be?”
The 4 years that followed were as toxic for the country as they were for the climate. grist.org/climate/trumps…
The 4 years that followed were as toxic for the country as they were for the climate. grist.org/climate/trumps…
Under the Trump administration, the EPA rolled back hundreds of rules intended to cut emissions and clean up the country’s air and water, and the U.S. became the only country to leave the Paris Agreement.
Meanwhile, Trump bragged about destroying environmental protections.
Meanwhile, Trump bragged about destroying environmental protections.
But Trump will leave another legacy behind when he departs the White House. In the past four years, climate activism catapulted into the mainstream, riding the wave of the “resistance” movement against Trump. grist.org/climate/trumps…
Youth-led activist groups sprang up seemingly overnight. @GretaThunberg began skipping school on Fridays to call for action on global warming. And protesters from the Sunrise Movement staged a sit-in at Nancy Pelosi’s office.
But Trump wasn't the only inspiration for all that climate activism.
On top of all his antics, raging wildfires, record-breaking hurricane seasons, and heatwaves have also vaulted climate change into the front of the public’s consciousness. grist.org/climate/trumps…
On top of all his antics, raging wildfires, record-breaking hurricane seasons, and heatwaves have also vaulted climate change into the front of the public’s consciousness. grist.org/climate/trumps…
A record percentage of the public now grasps that our planet is overheating, and more than a quarter are alarmed about the crisis — double what it was 5 years ago. Climate change even became a concern for corporate leaders as well as younger Republicans. grist.org/climate/trumps…
So, what happens to the movement when the world’s loudest climate denier is no longer in the White House?
President-elect Joe Biden has promised to return to the Paris Agreement on his first day, but clearing up the rest of the damage will take time. grist.org/politics/democ…
President-elect Joe Biden has promised to return to the Paris Agreement on his first day, but clearing up the rest of the damage will take time. grist.org/politics/democ…
There is some concern that, with a friendly face in the White House, some of the activism that has marked the past four years will begin to trickle away.
But Trump’s strange, turbulent, and destructive years in office gave the climate movement a unified foundation. And with the increasingly changing climate, we can expect the calls for action to grow. grist.org/climate/trumps…
Can we expect the Biden administration to take federal climate action ASAP? We're keeping score. For 100 days, we’re tracking Biden’s every climate move. Subscribe to The First 100. go.grist.org/signup/biden-1…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
