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The second Trump administration has stated that its actions must address three questions: Does it make us stronger? Does it make us safer? Does it make us more prosperous? This administration is in its early days but already is poised to fail to deliver on all three questions to the great detriment of all of us because it vigorously denies a fundamental reality — humans are changing how the atmosphere and the entire global ocean operate and therefore altering the conditions on which our civilization depends.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has been advising presidents, Congress and the U.S. public on science, engineering and health matters since its founding in 1863. In a joint publication with the Royal Society, it says circumstances are "now more certain than ever, based on many lines of evidence, that humans are changing Earth's climate."

With more than 13,000 members, the American Meteorological Society is the nation's premier scientific and professional organization for disseminating atmospheric, oceanic and hydrologic information that we all depend on daily. It says "[p]rojected warming over the next century will likely place global temperatures in a range not seen in millions of years of geologic history."

The American Geophysical Union is a global network of 60,000 members in 137 countries that works to promote excellence in scientific research and to leverage science to help society worldwide. It says "[e]conomic and social disruption will result … such as agricultural and fisheries productivity; submergence and loss of land due to sea-level rise; diminished labor productivity; disruption in education systems; damages to critical infrastructure; collapsing insurance markets and deteriorated air, water and soil quality."

Given the overwhelming scientific evidence that human-caused climate change is an urgent threat to the well-being of all of us, why does the Trump administration insist on denying reality?

One reason is state capture, in which private interests gain control over a government's decisionmaking processes to their own advantage. According to OpenSecrets, the top 20 oil and gas contributors in 2023 and 2024 donated nearly $173 million, of which more than $171 million, or 99%, went to Republican candidates or to conservative groups. While dismaying, it is not surprising that fossil fuel interests take precedence over what is best for the rest of us.

But there is another reason why Trumpism denies climate change — reality must not interfere with ideology. Trumpism does not accept the need for or desirability of international organizations, agreements or cooperation. The U.S. is (metaphorically) an island and any interactions with those beyond its shores must be dealt with strictly on a transactional basis.

Climate change does not comply with this mindset. While the U.S. can contribute significantly to addressing climate change, it alone cannot solve the crisis. Since the issue cannot be addressed unilaterally, Trumpism cannot consider it all.

In 1616, the Catholic Church convicted Galileo of heresy because the evidence he collected through his rudimentary telescope led him to conclude that the Earth revolved around the sun, contradicting accepted Biblical interpretations. At the time, whether the Earth revolved around the sun or vice versa did not materially affect people's day-to-day lives. We face a far more precarious situation now.

Government employees are being questioned about their work on climate change. Climate scientists are being purged from government offices. Government climate change data sets and websites are being taken down. Work on renewable energy and energy efficiency projects are being canceled, regardless of whether the federal government legally committed to these projects through signed contracts.

Since its passage in August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act has catalyzed tens of billions of dollars in the construction of new battery, solar, wind and EV manufacturing plants that are creating thousands of good-paying jobs overwhelmingly in red states. And in 2024, renewables contributed 93% of all new and badly needed capacity to our electric grids.

But instead of building on (and then taking credit) for this investment and manufacturing momentum that is making us stronger, safer and more prosperous, the Trump administration is actively working to shut it all down. In effect, President Trump has decried that good-paying jobs in the clean energy economy are not good enough for American workers. Americans voted to put a populist in the White House, but that is not who they got.

After a 40-year career developing environmental projects for the Science Museum of Minnesota, Patrick Hamilton retired in October 2024 and now holds the honorary title of Fellow.