New Data Further Show Climate in Crisis as Trump Plays Politics at the Border

Costs of Climate Disasters Skyrocket & Emissions Leap as Temperature Records are Shattered

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Donald Trump attempts to manufacture a crisis along the border, a series of new reports indicates he is continuing to ignore a real, critical crisis that threatens the health and safety of communities across the country. Today, new data released by the Rhodium Group indicate that U.S.-related greenhouse gas emissions increased in the last year as Trump continued to gut clean air, clean water, and climate safeguards. While 2018 is slated to be the second highest year on record for coal retirements, rising emissions from oil and gas use and production are slowing US climate progress. At the same time, Christian Aid released a new study tallying the costs of climate disasters around the world at more than $80 billion while new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service showed that the last four years have been the hottest ever  record around the globe.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:

"While Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis on the border to swindle the public into paying for his unpopular, destructive wall, the climate crisis is getting more dangerous before our eyes. If Trump really cared about protecting the public, he’d address the climate disasters that are costing lives and thousands of dollars right now. Instead, he is actively making a bad situation worse with his backwards policies and lies. Trump’s failure of leadership will not soon be forgotten by history or the American people. Meanwhile, states, cities, and grassroots leaders will keep driving down emissions by retiring coal plants and replacing them with renewable energy, and that is progress he can’t stop. ”