By Sadie York
Donald Trump will once again be President of the United States. Thus, the results of this election will have detrimental effects on our crumbling planet. Trump’s second term as President may be considered a win for some, but in reality, it’s a loss for every inhabitant of Earth. Previously stating that climate change is a “hoax” and vowing to expand fossil fuel production, Trump’s plans for the future appear bleak for the younger generations. During his term, former President Joe Biden delivered on the most ambitious climate agenda in history. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, more than 42 million acres of land were protected, the Defense Production Act to supercharge domestic clean energy manufacturing was invoked, America rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, $240 billion in private sector investment in clean energy manufacturing was attracted, and the largest climate investment ever was secured. Trump will tear all of this down. In fact, during his first term, he pulled our country out of the Paris Climate Agreement, an international treaty signed by global leaders aimed to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5℃. Now surely, if Trump had withdrawn from this treaty before, he’ll have no problem doing it again. Except, there is so much more on the line this time. He aims to eliminate all federal support for clean energy, and with Republican’s control of the Senate, there is no doubt support for the fossil fuel industry will increase. Climate analysts at Carbon Brief predicted that another 4 years with Trump would lead to the nation emitting an additional 4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, matching the combined emissions of the European Union and Japan.
Those who are too ignorant to acknowledge these critical dangers our world is facing may argue these laws will never get passed with the Supreme Court, or think the planet will be “fine.” Unfortunately, while it’s nice to live in a bubble, it’s time to wake up. On several accounts our already conservative Supreme Court has undermined federal climate action. Trump, notorious for his “drill, baby, drill” comment, has already offered oil and gas industry executives tax and regulatory favors in exchange for $1 billion in campaign support. Not only that, but Trump’s supposed use of tariffs to restore the U.S.’s “individualism” would completely defeat energy markets. Solar panels and much of clean energy technology are made overseas, in which a tariff on international goods would be detrimental to these uses.
Everyone who voted for Donald Trump has their respective reasons, but one thing’s for sure, the people of this country have jeopardized the world’s future and put the reins in the hands of an ignorant man. While Kamala Harris’s campaign emphasized the protection of keeping our Earth green, it was completely overlooked by this year’s voters. Climate change is rarely seen as a priority for anyone but scientists. However, once the damage of Trump’s presidency becomes irreversible, it will have to become a priority for everyone.