Responding to the Election Results: Anger is an Energy – Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island

Millions of Americans rejected the Trump climate “plan” at the ballot box Tuesday. Let’s not forget that.

His election will undoubtedly change our tactics, but not our message: The science is clear. We must stop burning fossil fuels – NOW – to ensure an immediate transition to a just future.

We are filled with rage and dismay at the US election outcome. Under Trump’s leadership, we expect a direct assault on the protection of human and environmental justice at home and abroad. The power granted to him as the head of the most powerful State in the world could lead to social and environmental catastrophes worse than we have ever seen.

How did this happen? Follow the Money

Open Secrets shows Trump’s campaign was funded by special interest groups, including Big Oil, Gas and Coal. Notably, Coal’s interest in Trump has to do with bitcoin mining. They’re gambling that the increased energy requirements for bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence models will keep coal plants in operation for years to come, and that Trump will support dirty energy projects. Elon Musk’s America PAC received one of its largest donations from coal billionaire Joe Craft (according to Heated and Open Secrets).

Scientists in labcoats make observations of a pump jack right behind homes. Signal Hill, Long Beach, CA. August 9, 2024

Project 2025 = Climate Catastrophe

Trump’s Project 2025 agenda threatens the lives and well-being of millions of Americans. It would cost 1.7 million jobs, while increasing energy costs for Americans by $32 billion annually (based on modeling from Energy Innovation). It would also increase climate pollution by at least 19%, and undo much of the emissions reduction work that has happened in recent years.

Evergreen Action says that “Project 2025 would put our 2023 and 2050 climate targets out of reach.”�Most of the damage from these policies would land on the people in America’s low-income and communities of color. Climate chaos is already hurting many Americans, with those impacts placing the greatest burden on people who are poor, disenfranchised, or otherwise vulnerable.

Trump is disregarding science and threatening the integrity of the natural world in his plan, a strategy that is truly unsustainable. This is simply intolerable, and Scientist Rebellion will not stand down from direct action and civil disobedience to resist this situation.

Resistance Required

Scientists wheat-pasting a poster version of a scientific paper titled "Scientists must act on our own warnings to humanity" https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-019-0979-y — Gardner, C.J., Wordley, C.F.R. **Scientists must act on our own warnings to humanity.** *Nat Ecol Evol* 3, 1271–1272 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0979-y

Scientist Rebellion is ready to get back to work today.

There is no democracy under a leader who prides himself on xenophobic, ultranationalist rhetoric and shamelessly uses his legacy of abuse and impunity to fuel division and incite hatred and violence among American citizens. Trump embodies grave peril to national and global environmental progress and cooperation.

The science is clear: We are in a climate emergency.

We call on the Biden administration to immediately declare a State of Emergency on climate. Such a declaration will bring needed attention and urgency to the climate and related crises (biodiversity, environmental justice, and so much more). More importantly, it would compel the government we STILL HAVE (until January 20, 2025) to act!