Denialism — when people deny the existence or validity of a provable truth — is not just alive and well in the nation, it is a daily occurrence.
Think about how government officials deny the accuracy of labor statistics, the reality that tariffs are taxes on Americans, the safety of vaccines and the benefits of water fluoridation.
And let’s not forget the dishonesty about the Epstein files, which in effect, is a denial of the sexual trafficking of hundreds of girls and young women, some as young as 14. There is “truth decay,” as the nonprofit public policy group the RAND Corporation calls it.
Denialism of climate change is now official federal policy, and already, the first steps pose an existential threat to the nation — and the world as we know it. The Department of Energy in July released a report, “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate,” written by five scientists known for their denial of climate change.
This specious report came the same day the Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal to overturn a key 2009 legal ruling giving the federal government authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants and other sources. Without this essential legal underpinning, the Trump administration will be able to roll back or repeal 31 key environmental rules advancing clean air, clean water and climate change mitigation almost overnight.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin proclaimed that this proposal would “amount to the largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States.”
This glib statement is good news for the oil industry executives to whom Trump promised a windfall in exchange for $1 billion in industry contributions to his campaign, but for the rest of the country, it is dire news.
Without environmental regulations, air and water pollution will increase, climate change will accelerate and there will be more devastating fires, floods, deadly heat waves, hurricanes and other extreme weather events. This will result in more foodborne diseases; respiratory illnesses, cancers and other serious health problems; burned-out or flooded communities; higher insurance costs; billions spent on disaster relief and thousands of preventable deaths.
As the son of a fruit farmer growing up in Quincy, I experienced in a deeply personal way the links between climate, energy and the economy. Farmers can attest to the impact of climate on their crops and their livelihoods. The looming reality of climate change should be of concern to everyone.
For me, fighting climate change is more than a passion, it is a religious calling.
As vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals in the early 2000s, I spoke out often and loudly about the need for Creation Care, gave a sermon at the National Cathedral on Earth Day, taught at Christian colleges and churches, authored articles, lobbied Congress and even appeared in documentaries.
But my advocacy came at a high cost — in 2008, NAE fired me after an interview where I called for climate change action and expressed support for civil unions.
Yes, I reeled from being fired, but NAE’s action did not defeat me. I continue to speak about the need to combat climate change because the cost of denialism is much too high.
George Orwell said, “However much you deny the truth, the truth goes on existing, as it were, behind your back.”
The truth behind our backs is that climate change is undeniable, it is happening right now and ending environmental protections will only make things worse — and fast.
There is another important truth: “We the people” can do something to preserve our environment. The administration must seek and review public comments on its proposals. The EPA has extended the public comment period to Sept. 22 for its proposal to repeal the 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding. (Instructions for commenting are at st.news/rule).
Don’t sit on the sidelines. Speak out, submit comments, contact your congressional representative or send a letter to the president.
This is a fight worth winning — for all of us.
