Each day, as 2016 counts down and more and more cabinet posts are announced from President-Elect Trump’s transition team, and as more and more revelations about foreign government involvement in our elections are revealed, at ClimateMama we are feeling more and more like we are living in a parallel universe. If we were to write the script and cast the parts to fill the roles of the exact opposite of who and what we imagine would protect our children’s civil liberties, their air, water, security and future, many of the nominees so far would be this “parallel universe” cast of characters.
Like a “bull in a china shop” it seems clear that Mr. Trump is bringing in more “bulls” to break our current system. As Climate Mamas and Papas we certainly believe in shaking things up, and we do feel our present system is broken and needs to be fixed. But without a well-defined plan for what will replace all the broken pieces, what is currently happening is something we all must speak up against and we must demand a process be put in place that will ensure safety and security for our children’s future and now.
We have refrained from using our ClimateMama platform to express raw political views, as we strongly feel that co-opting climate change solutions and policies and painting them into political corners is a large part of what we feel is destroying our future and now. Yet, climate change and climate solutions have been cast as decidedly political issues. We must not allow this. Separation of church and state was established for well thought through reasons, just as separation of regulatory agencies from the industries they regulate was put in place for critical reasons. We must continue to demand that the air we breath, the water we drink, our food, our products and our future are not guarded by wolves at the hen house doors.
Below is a short list of some of Mr. Trump’s Cabinet nominees that are concerning to us. All three of these individuals have fought against climate solutions and for expanding fossil fuel exploration, development and use; this in direct contradiction to what scientists and policy makers are telling us we need to do to stabilize our climate and protect our future.
Some of our ideas that YOU can put into play are listed below. As always, we recommend that you do your own research, learn more about these individuals and form your own conclusions.
Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma state attorney general, nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Rick Perry, former Governor of Texas, nominated to head the Department of Energy.
Rex W. Tillerson, chairman of Exxon Mobil, nominated to head the State Department.
The Senate must confirm each of these nominees. Each person will need to be vetted and Senate hearings will be held. The Senate is one of the lines that can be “held” on these nominees. We will share other ideas for other “lines to hold” as this process moves forward in the coming weeks..
What you CAN do today:
1. Call your Senator’s office in both DC and your home state, demand that thorough hearings are held; hearings that are both transparent and open to all.
2. Write your Senator directly, contact them through their website or Facebook page, tag them on Twitter and keep it simple. Let them know that, “As THEIR constituent,” you need them to demand thorough and transparent hearings are held on all cabinet nominees.
3. Contact your relatives and friends, particularly in states that have Republican senators, and ask them to contact their senators directly. Demand that these appointments be made on merit and filled by people who publically recognize the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to take immediate action to address it.
Climate solutions and actions must not be politicized or seen through a partisan lens. Climate deniers, or those who work for, with, or lead companies that are actively working against strong climate action, are not the people that should be leading us or these agencies.
Real power is what is vested with the people. Individuals – republicans, democrats, people of all walks of life, of all religious and ethnic backgrounds – must unite around climate solutions to ensure that our world is a livable one for us and for our children.
Yours,
Climate Mama
“Parallel Universe” photo via Wiki Commons: By Oldangelmidnight from Northampton, MA (IMG_0605 Uploaded by clusternote) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
