Climate Change & Trump’s Fools Choice

Top researchers, conservationists, and nonprofits came together this week in New York City to discuss how we tackle climate change amid the Trump administration’s attacks on climate and science.

When Trump returned to office, he set his sights on rolling back the progress we had made to address climate change. We had passed a major climate rescue bill that unlocked huge investments for clean energy projects to bring down energy prices while also reducing pollution.

The Trump administration canceled millions of federal contracts for clean energy projects – many of them already underway – and wasted taxpayer money in the process. Each of those projects would have added more supply to the system and lowered costs.

In the most egregious instances, the Trump administration actually paid foreign energy companies more than $2 billion to abandon offshore wind projects. You heard that right: they gave $2 billion of your dollars to private companies to NOT build new infrastructure.

The administration fired all of the federal workers who ran a different program that helps 6 million low-income households heat and cool their homes, including about 85,800 households in Colorado.

Two weeks ago, the Trump administration announced it would scrap an EPA rule that reduces pollution from power plants.

Meanwhile, the president and Republicans in Congress are trying to sell Americans on a fool’s choice. They claim that we are in an “energy emergency” and need to pick between lower energy costs and saving our climate.

That is a false choice.

We’re not in an energy emergency. In fact, our country is producing more electricity, oil, and gas than ever. Our investments in clean energy – like geothermal, wind, and solar – are helping lower prices.

Solar, storage, and wind make up 95% of the energy capacity waiting to connect to our grid. Wind generates 10% of our electricity and will provide much more affordable, renewable energy if more permits were made possible.

We can lower energy prices AND protect our climate.

But, Republicans in Congress just can’t get the message. Instead, they’ve joined the president to roll back our environmental protections and undermine clean energy.

Last year when they passed their disastrous budget bill, they blocked my amendment that would have stripped out any provision that would raise energy costs for Americans. It’s baffling.

Their logic falls apart even faster now that the president has thrown us into a costly and unwanted war with Iran.

Since he attacked Iran, diesel prices have reached an all time high and are pummeling ranchers and farmers. The price of gas is over $4 a gallon in Colorado and driving up prices all across the board. All because Trump’s war has disrupted the flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz and ignited a regional war across the Middle East.

This is exactly a moment when a strong “all of the above” energy strategy pays off. We need our clean energy projects to bring down energy costs.

Here in Colorado, our communities feel the painful truth of climate change. We’re facing the worst drought in 1,200 years. Wildfires are burning hotter and threatening more communities.

Our economy – our future – depends on us addressing climate change.

We refuse to buy into their false dilemma and let them risk raising prices further while tearing down what we’ve accomplished.

We will continue fighting to protect our progress and won’t stop working to tackle climate change.