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Guest Opinion

By Cathye Williams | Dec. 7, 2024

No one who knows (or reads) me will be surprised by my disappointment in the 2024 election results. It was just months ago that this column laid out the very real concerns that many people had about Project 2025, the extreme right wing plan which, if implemented, would be a disaster for the future of clean energy and a sustainable planet.

Now we are poised on the brink of those Project 2025 strategies becoming reality, with control of all branches of the government soon to be under the party whose ideals and mission are aligned with Project 2025 and its pro-Big Oil, anti-regulatory aims. Even if we avoid the worst from happening, we are sure to see a halt and even rollback of hard-won climate and economic policies and a continued concentration of wealth and power in fossil fuel corporations and their allies in government.

Arguably the greatest successes of the Biden administration, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, have jumpstarted energy efficiency and infrastructure projects. This legislation is already creating jobs and building resilience in American communities that were being overcome by the costly damage of floods, wildfires, heat waves, droughts, and violent storms.

The electoral setback could bring a serious blow to these laws that were to be the first of many steps in achieving a livable world. A blow not just for Democrats but for all the people living in the purple, red, or blue places that will continue to bear the very real cost of climate change and extreme weather events.

So how to cool a planet in the face of daunting opposition, greed, and short-sightedness by the incoming administration and Republican majority in Congress? One might look for hope, and find that hope still persists.

It persists in the state and local governments that remain committed to a decarbonized energy future. Forty-five states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and dozens of large metro areas have now developed climate action plans and will have access to billions in grants to reduce harmful pollution, build infrastructure, industry, and viable economies for a clean energy age. Over 96 percent of the U.S. population will be covered by these plans and will benefit from the clean air, improved infrastructure, and good paying jobs they will bring (EPA Press Office March 2024).

Twenty-one states are also hastening to improve the national power grid system by partnering with the federal government as part of the Modern Grid Deployment Initiative (US Department of Energy 2023).

Hope persists in the large percentage (66-86 percent depending on the proposal) of registered voters who support climate friendly policies (Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2024. Yale University and George Mason University). In fact, in states with pro-environmental initiatives on the ballot this November, voters passed most of those that would reduce pollution and strengthen our towns and homes against the ongoing impacts of climate change and rejected those that aimed to take us backwards on climate (Inside Climate News, Nov. 2024).

Hope persists in northern Michigan, where Traverse area voters passed a $180 million bond proposal that will improve energy efficiency with upgrades to TCAPS buildings and operations (Record-Eagle Nov. 2024). Up North is also where members of the TC Presbyterian Church felt compelled by faith to protect future generations by installing LEDs, solar panels, and a new heating system. These improvements will save the church thousands annually and keep hundreds of tons of carbon out of the atmosphere, restoring creation for all.

The town’s municipal utility TC Light and Power isn’t waiting to see if elected leaders will do the right thing either. Its recently approved strategic plan was developed through “robust stakeholder engagement” and includes a commitment to 100 percent renewable energy usage by 2040 and “promoting comprehensive environmental stewardship through TCLP operations targeting greenhouse gas reduction” (TCLP press release March 2024).

It is vital that we continue to support elected officials and state and local organizations doing the right thing, whatever their political affiliation. These folks see that climate friendly policies benefit local economies. Clean air and water is good for everyone: businesses, workers, and consumers.

There are many groups working on climate solutions. Feel welcome to add your talents to lobby, inform, and listen to people who you may not agree with. Whether you like to write, talk, march, cook, or connect, there is a role and a need for every type of person on this quest.

Just like Mr. Rogers’ helpers, there are climate champions all around, whether protestors, protectors, or pragmatists. Uplift their work with your time and/or money. Discover and share reliable sources of information to combat fear and misinformation. And finally, communicate respectfully with your representatives about the future you want to see for your children and grandchildren.

Cathye Williams is a local climate activist. She writes from the northern corner of Manistee County.