The first week of 2025 brought extreme fire and ice across the United States. Terrible wildfires and evacuations are occurring on the West Coast more than 100,000 people from their homes, and the Mid-Atlantic is recovering from back-to-back winter storms. These “natural disasters” pose an extreme threat to our communities and are a result of climate change.
Meanwhile, two enemies of the environment are inaugurated just a week apart. Former West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey was sworn into the office of Governor of West Virginia on Monday, January 13th, and Donald Trump will return to the office of US President on January 20th. Both are a nightmare for our shared climate future and have been achieved by damaging corporate interests.
Morrissey’s success is due in particular to one of the most effective and cruel political organizations, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which focuses on electing Republicans for Attorney General. RAGA is notorious for playing a long-term role in climate obstruction and undermining reproductive and LGBTQ rights. They are responsible for the overthrow Chevron doctrine in 2024 and win West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2022.
These Supreme Court cases hinder the ability of federal agencies such as the EPA to set rules and enforce environmental protections, or limit the EPA’s authority to regulate emissions from power plants. Put simply, these RAGA efforts are preventing our nation’s environmental professionals from protecting our health, air, water and land.
West Virginia’s novel governor is merely an extension of the RAGA political machine because he has no original ideas and puts the bottom line of companies first. This legal game, which allows polluters to evade responsibility for their damage to the environment and public health, has concrete and negative consequences for local and global communities. We know that human activityThe burning of fossil fuels, in particular, is the cause of an enhance in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which leads to climate change. Furthermore, we know that climate change is a key driver of deterioration Forest fires And Winter storms.
Climate disasters have cost our country more than $2.785 trillion since 1980. The frequency, intensity and price of these disasters are increasing every year and will continue to enhance as the climate crisis remains unaddressed. The Los Angeles wildfires are expected to be that “Most expensive fire ever” in American history at a preliminary estimate of more than $50 billion.
What is most concerning is that our state and country are not investing adequately in preventing or responding to these disasters. During this last winter storm, West Virginia had this highest power failure rate in the country. This is no surprise considering West Virginia holds a top spot 50 in the reliability and infrastructure of the power grid.
Our forced dependence on fossil fuels may be part of why we have the weakest electric grid in the United States. Almost 90% of electricity generation comes from coal-fired power plants and three out of five Power plants in the state are at risk of flooding. Both numbers represent the highest figures nationwide.
Nationally, last year was the second year in a row that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) entered hurricane season low funding shortly before Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage in the Southeast, becoming one of the largest in the world most costly and deadly Hurricanes in history. FEMA announced a Deficit of $9 billion for hurricane relief efforts in October 2024, the same week the United States sent almost the same amount ($8.7 billion) to Israel for military funding Commit genocide in Gaza.
Under our nation’s novel governor and novel president, investing in climate mitigation and adaptation measures is unthinkable, while rolling back the previous federal administration’s inadequate climate regulations and laws is likely.
That sounds murky and there’s no sugarcoating it – it’s disgusting. That’s why it’s more critical than ever to hold those in power accountable for the threats they have created to our shared future, regardless of political party or office. Given the threat our governor and president pose to our planet, there is still an opportunity to make change on the ground.
Our counties, cities and towns must show leadership in the face of more habitual and severe climate disasters and novel project proposals from fossil fuel stakeholders. Invest in pristine energy and climate resilience projects and make a Declaration of a climate emergency that advances local initiatives, or passing local ordinances that prevent climate change-causing companies from polluting our neighborhoods are all ways local governments can and should put our communities first in this novel year.
