By Ben Jealous
Ben Jealous
On the Fourth of July, Donald Trump signed his “megabill.” The law boosts the dying fossil fuel industry with tens of billions of taxpayer dollars. It invites an additional 470 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2035—that’s the equivalent annual emissions of more than 100 million gas-powered cars. And it aims to stop dead in its tracks the clean energy transition and the green manufacturing jobs boom that the Inflation Reduction Act was already starting to create. Despite these challenges, the resilience of the American Spirit remains unyielding, showcasing what makes us who we are.
The essence of the American Spirit is evident in our history and our ability to adapt and evolve.
In every crisis, the American Spirit emerges, demonstrating our ability to unite and face adversity head-on.
In the face of adversity, the American Spirit shines through as communities come together to recover and rebuild, embodying the values that define us as a nation.
This disaster was not a random event. It was a crisis written by the climate crisis and made far worse by the types of policies being pushed by this administration every day. Yet, the American Spirit continues to inspire action and change.
Before the absurdly named One Big Beautiful Bill landed on Trump’s desk, his administration had already begun gutting America’s frontline defenses against climate disasters—like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate labs, the National Weather Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. As questions abound about why parts of the flood-impacted region did not receive adequate warning about the floods, Trump insisted that “nobody expected it” and it was a “once in 100 years” event.
But storms like this, as well as increased flooding from the Guadalupe River, were expected—and predicted. The US Geological Survey—another vital body Trump is trying to eviscerate—issued a report to that effect in 2019. The science is clear: Warmer air holds more moisture, intensifying storms and accelerating flood risk. We’re now witnessing the violent proof of these predictions.
According to UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain, this kind of record-shattering rain (caused by slow-moving torrential thunderstorms) event is *precisely* that which isincreasing the fastest in [a]warming climate.”
As for the “once in 100 years” claim, those extreme weather events are now happening far more often thanks to the climate crisis. Between 2015 and 2019, one St. Louis suburb had three major floods and at least two of them were considered “once in 100 years” events.
It is not hard to see how the climate crisis became a political debate: Decades of anti-science propaganda from the coal, oil, and gas industries. Politicians bought and paid for by fossil fuel oligarchs. A current administration with a cabinet full of industry shills.
Big Oil alone spent a whopping $445 million through the 2024 election cycle to influence Trump and Congress. A staggering figure to be sure, that does not include donations funneled through dark money groups (likely tens of millions of dollars more). And it still falls short of the $1 billion Donald Trump asked the country’s oil executives to kick in for his campaign—an amount Trump insisted would be a “deal” for the industry because of what he was willing to give them.
But it is high time that our leaders, at every level and of every party, stop kowtowing to a toxic and unnecessary industry built on death, illness, and poisoning our communities. It is time they treat this crisis as a struggle for survival—a fight for the future our children deserve.
As the people of Texas grieve and the country grieves with them, their pain is our warning.
We are at a crossroads: We can double down on denial and let superstorms, heat waves, droughts, floods, and fires determine our fate. Or we can lead—with science, resilience, courage, and a recommitment to our values.
If we harness our outrage and come together to fight like hell for our collective future, we will win. Because when people stand up and demand a safe planet, nothing—not even rising water—can drown the American spirit.
Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.