In the US, we are being told repeatedly that the 2024 Presidential election is razor close. I can’t square this fact with the stark differences between the two candidates – Harris and Trump – on so many issues, and on an issue that I am well versed in and care deeply about. The Trump camp, in so many instances, outright denies the climate crisis or outside of outright denial, makes the case that nothing we can do, can change what is happening. They propose, through their Project 2025, getting rid of most federal agencies that work on climate change, including FEMA and NOAA. These two agencies help us with the impacts of climate disasters – both by better understanding our natural world, monitoring storms and weather coming our way, and supporting us after a climate disaster. Privatizing pretty much all government services seems to be the Republican answer to everything these days . This reality means no safety nets. Weather and climate information, health care access, reliable healthy foods, public education, affordable prescriptions – access so many things we have come to expect – will be radically changed.
A democratic future and the last best chance to stave off the worst impacts of our climate crisis are on the line in this election – at least for me, that is how substantial this election feels. So many of the things I believe and hope for, for my children and their future, feel like they are hanging by a thread. Am I overreacting? I wish I was. Sadly, the hateful rhetoric coming from the Trump campaign and Trump himself – the downplaying of the realities of the climate crisis and what can be done to address it – are on full display, almost every day and each day seems to be worse than the next.
I grew up in Canada, moved to the USA for work, fall in love, had two children and become an American citizen in 2007. Voting on issues I care about, taking my children to the voting booth when they were young, discussing issues that were being decided at the ballot box with them now, as young adults, is a big part of what being a good parent means for me. Barack Obama was the first president I voted for. I have voted every year since, in every election – local, state and national. For me, the right to vote and to live in a democracy has been ingrained in me by my parents –whose parents came to Canada as refugees fleeing pogroms in Europe at the turn of the 20th Century. Our rights to vote and to live in a democracy must not be taken for granted.
The connections between our climate crisis and so many of the rights I perceive as fundamental has taken time for me to absorb and to connect the dots. I now understand that equality and equity, public education, accessible and quality health care, access to healthy food and clean water, voting rights, marriage, racial and gender equality all rely on and can only be effective, with a healthy planet. Our species, we human beings, have the singular capability to disrupt our planet’s ability to maintain her health and balance. Too often these connections are hidden down media rabbit holes fed by algorithms that we didn’t ask for nor understand. We are all dealing with these consequences and more – deep fakes, bots, boldface lies – reality itself seems to be on the ballot – yet it stays opaque, behind a veil. We are facing multiple crises – interconnected and urgent – yet too many of us have our eyes wide shut or have reality hidden from us with intent and purpose – and sometimes it feels safer to stay in this space then trying to finding our way back to the surface and reality.
I am a mother first, foremost and forever. I am also an educator, policy analyst, economist, author and activist. As a mother, I feel deep sadness that my children’s future and now is being threatened by these entwined emergencies. As an economist and policy analyst, I also see and feel hope – the transition to a climate aware future is here. Our option to elect an enlightened climate concerned President who already, through the IRA, has taken significant action on climate, is within sight. Yet votes cast in a handful of states in a few short days may forever keep this critical transition out of our reach. As someone who has written about, taught and acted on the climate crisis for decades, I sometimes feel I’m blowing at windmills, as people listen and then seem to shut out the harsh realities’ scientists tell us are here now and waiting just around the corner. Extreme weather events are our everyday lived experience, with floods, fire and hurricane impacts numbing us all. We have a clear choice before us. From my vantage point so many other things we are concerned about – immigration which will only get worse as desperate people flee their own climate disasters seeking refuge in the USA; the economy, our right and ability to choose what happens to our own bodies, all become worse if we don’t address the climate crisis, and it’s causes.
I could write a book on this – indeed I have – but in this limited space what I want to convey most, is that time is not on our side. Our planet is showing us, in no uncertain terms, that we are running out of time. Protest votes, third party candidates, not voting, can’t erase the ever-present dangers that electing the MAGA party will put into play. If we don’t have a government in power who understands our climate realities, who doesn’t appreciate the interconnectedness of our actions and our impact on nature – who isn’t ready to speak hard truths and move quickly, then we have little hope of changing the crash course we are on. We are racing to the edge of the cliff, our children are watching, their future and now in our hands. Please, please join me and vote for #HarrisWalz2024, with all our children in your mind’s eye.
Harriet Shugarman is the author of “How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change, Turning Angst into Action” and a professor of climate change policy, science and world sustainability.
As we shared in January of this year, our posts in 2024 will include reposts that are as relevant today as the day they were written. Over the years and now decades that ClimateMama has been around, we know we are doing foundational work; building the foundations and the scaffolding to reach for the sky.
When casting your vote, do so with the intent to show your children, your country and the world that you completely and utterly repudiate hate and lies; and that you stand up for science and for the truth. There is no room for complacency, and no time to prop up elected officials who do not take the crisis at hand with the urgency of action that is required. It is often hard to measure the deliberate and singularly focused act of voting – with the urgency of our times. But you must remain conscious of the importance of each and every vote, even if it seems like only one small step. Do not allow yourself to be stuck, frozen, or paralyzed, or to feel so much disappointment or disgust with the system and those running it, that you do not vote. Remind your children of this as well. They may seem young, and far away from voting age, but the importance of casting a vote is developed at an early age. Since the beginning of the 21st century, young people are no longer voting in high numbers; neither in the United States nor in many other countries around the world. This must change; their future and now requires it.
Looking back on 2023, as far as our blog is concerned, it was a very, very, very quiet year – we took a hiatus with the blog as our Executive Director worked supporting other organizations and projects including 
Speaking for myself, I have been operating this past week in a kind of low functioning stupor. I have had a hard time sleeping (although not that uncommon for me) but more importantly, I have been having a hard time concentrating and getting down to work – something that is rarely a problem for me. My mind wanders as I watch people go about their business, perhaps preparing for their July 4th weekend holiday and I wonder how they can be so oblivious to what is happening around us. My world, our daughters’ world, our sons’ world, our world in every sense – has shifted; and not in a positive way. I know to, that everyone, like me, has business to take care of and that they too may be equally distressed. I know that we each must take care of ourselves, rest and prepare for the long road ahead and each of us must do this in our own way. But, this doesn’t bring me relief. Instead it seems to only add to my angst.
As it relates to West Virginia Vs the EPA, or the decision that was taken by the Supreme Court on 6/30/22 to regulate the EPA’s ability to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, this too has been years in the making. Some, who have backed this, hold the view that God has put our natural resources on this planet specifically for man’s use and this use shouldn’t be curtailed. The judeo/christian bible is sited as “proof” of this and this loose understanding seems to be applied to everything from fossil fuels to water to land and more. This too has its roots in the same belief that we, as humans, are too insignificant to alter our planet’s climate and that God will prevail, protect us and look after us. These beliefs align with the blurring of the concept of Church and State separation and are intertwined with greed, the belief in no government regulation and in the power of a few (who see themselves as superior – perhaps chosen by God) to control the power of the many.
Mother’s Day 2022: I have been a mother for over 24 years; first to my son and then to my daughter. I have been a full time climate educator, policy analyst and activist for 15 of those 24 years. Understanding the connections between our climate crisis, climate and environmental justice, equality and equity, public education, universal health care, access to healthy food & clean water, voting rights, marriage, racial and gender equality has been a learning process; it has taken time for me to absorb and connect the dots. I fully understand that awakening to these important rights and recognizing their interconnections isn’t always obvious; it requires contemplation, education, and discussion. Our motto at ClimateMama is: “tell the truth, actions speak louder than words, don’t be afraid.” I try each day to live by this motto. I believe my children understand and see this and that growing up and now, they know I am doing the best I can.
Court, to control our bodies and the bodies of our daughters, sisters, friends and aunts, is a threat to us all. We have had federal protection and recognition of this right for 50 years, ceding control to the states is a step backwards, inequitable, and unfair. Just as we need to have federal protection of the air we breath and the water we drink. These rights too remain unclear and need to be strengthened. In an upcoming decision these rights are in jeopardy and under threat, at the whim of a politicized and partisan Supreme Court. Follow the 
For those of you outside of the USA, looking in, understand that our country is at a turning point, and change comes with struggles. The USA has many problems and yet provides many opportunities, freedoms and choices. I firmly believe we will find our way through this current challenge, in a way that ultimately protects all of us; building active hope for a stronger, safer, and healthier future. But getting there will be messy, challenging and at times disappointing, frustrating, sad, and ugly. Democracy is worth fighting for, and we are in a great battle. Know that there are so many fighting every day. Battles are won and lost, but we are not backing down. Equality, justice and a safe and healthy climate are the ultimate prizes, and everyone deserves to have these.
In mid-March I had the honor and the pleasure of interviewing director, writer, filmmaker, and climate mama extraordinaire Rachel Lears. I was introduced to Rachel by 
I always thought I wanted to have kids, but it took a while for me to feel economically stable enough to begin to consider this possibility. When I felt ready, having a child proved to be a difficult process for me. I had 3 miscarriages before having my son at the age of 38. I was already a film maker, having completed a few successful projects already. I had established a production company with my husband – he is my film making partner as well as my life partner. By the time our son came into our lives, having each other to supported one another in those early days of parenthood and through a hectic time in our careers was critical to our success, both personally and professionally. The idea for Knock Down the House came alongside and because of the 2016 presidential elections. I felt this strong need to do something, to get involved in campaigns and to channel my activism in a positive way. I didn’t have the luxury of cynicism; my son was just 8 months old and I knew his future had to be filled with possibilities. In fact he helped us make the journey of making Knock Down the House possible. He took 4-hour naps which allowed my husband to edit during our son’s naps. We have shared parenting responsibilities since these early days and have been successful co-parents. When I had Max, I was afraid that it would be difficult for my career, but in fact having a child has renewed my commitment to believe in the possibility of a better world. I think that when we look at the the future through the eyes of a parent of a young child, we have to take a hopeful approach to the possibilities, even with something as overwhelming as the climate crisis. The 2018 United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C was what led me to create To The End. To me, that report presented a question of political will and political courage. Did these exist? The question of political courage led me to think deeply about the movement for major climate policy change in the US and how it would need to grow and expand from many varied directions. To The End ended up being a film about the Green New Deal and those who created it, as well as to the present moment, in 2022 how its success is intertwined with the Build Back Better bill. The film highlights 4 incredible women who fighting to make innovative climate policy a reality.
newborn baby. Rhiana shares an incredibly profound and personal message of the legacy of her own family and how her ancestors always had children in adverse circumstances. She helps by putting her own pregnancy into perspective as she shares that bringing a child into the world now, knowing where the world is headed because of climate change, is a leap of faith. Even in best case scenario the future is extremely complicated. We are therefore reminded that having child is truly an act of hope. It is not a naïve decision but rather a sense that these are the kinds of decisions we must make; multigenerational struggles with historical legacies show us that while the future may look bleak, through a baby, new hope is born. This is the core essence of the film, the story that I want to put out there. I hope young people who are considering not having children will also see Rhiana’s perspective, that humans have been living with catastrophe, with worlds ending, with apocalypse, at every point of human history. This to me, is the point of what it means to keep going to the end, it is how we can draw strength – knowing that people have been living through hard and impossible things and getting through them and experiencing joy even during these hard and seemingly impossible times; this is why we can’t give up.
“Unchecked carbon pollution is forcing the world’s most vulnerable on a frogmarch to destruction,” United Nations Secretary General Guterres said in a 
We must acknowledge our grief, our angst and our fears, and move beyond them, our children are watching, their future and now is in our hands.
that have done the least to cause the problems we face. We must not turn our backs on the youth of today – their call to act on climate couldn’t be more clear. We can slow climate impacts by reducing our own personal carbon impact and by demanding change from our governments as well as corporations. No more business as usual we can incorporate into our habits. We got this! 
To help jumpstart your new year, I’ve created a 
