I'm glad I found this thread, because I feel like I'm losing my mind. There aren't many people I can talk to on this subject. Most of my family is pro Trump. One is outright hateful toward me.
In terms of previous posts here, it seems to me the dominoes are falling (yes, maybe they have been falling for >15 years) and we're in for something very bad. Even as I hope for the best, I wake up, read about Trump - his appointments, his behavior, and his tweets, and the hope dies. Every day.
And it's not just Trump. His win has emboldened GOP reps. The recent tweets out of the House Science Committee sickens me:
Yesterday, @HouseScience tweeted a Brietbart article by an English major who readily admits he doesn't have time to read peer reviewed science. This is the guy who made hay about Climate gate in 2009 that, after 4 independent investigations, turned up ZERO wrongdoing. (Watch
This BBC Documentary . James Delingpole's statements here:
https://youtu.be/C3JEaigwAbg?t=37m51s )
Earlier, @HouseScience mocked Climate scientists for being depressed.
I'm not kidding. The chairman of the committee is a regular author on Breitbart. His stated priority as chairman is to "reduce the regulatory burden on american families."
After Trump won, I decided to focus on one important issue, and fight for it. For me, it's climate change. I read, research, and post simple, thoughtful posts nearly every day on facebook. I exchange emails with my pro Trump brother (through gritted teeth), and read up about the handful of non-climate-scientist deniers who are causing so many problems. Whether it's an anti-communist ideology, or on behalf of Exxon Mobil and whoever is anonymously donating to the 'Donors Trust' foundation, they are a destructive force.
Speaking of Exxon Mobil (XOM). They are the primary fossil fuel company behind climate denial activity. Even as their reported support has waned, it's very likely they are donating to a front group called 'Donors Trust'. It occurred to me that Vanguard ETFs must be a significant shareholder. I calculated they hold at least 5.7% of XOM (see my excel snapshot below). I'm thinking we could call the fund managers of VTI, VOO, VDE and others and demand they, as shareholder reps, demand that XOM stop employing these disinformation tactics from the big tobacco playbook. If you want to work with me on this feel free to PM.
I truly hope this lawsuit is effective. But it's probably not enough. It's too small. We need a class action suit of people with standing, who can expose the climate change denial in the same way the tobacco industry was exposed.
I'm extremely discouraged by the appointment of Myron Ebell to the EPA, and the dangerous statements by Trump. I've found a few gems - like GOP house Rep Bob Ingles of South Carolina who is vocal about the reality of the science. But he was ousted in 2012.
This is a tremendous amount of information to go through - and it is but one topic in an array of terribly discouraging fronts.
Chin up, yes. But I'm preparing for things getting much worse.
tl;dr: so my take on the impact of a Trump presidency is that we'll lose significant ground on climate change mitigation. I believe it's a crisis. Trump and his appointees could have a very negative impact on our global ecosystems. ... And I'm glad I have you all to talk with about it all.