The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest near Boulder Junction includes stands of mature conifers. (Jonathan Kult | Wisconsin DNR)

As a teenager in the early 1970s, I recall listening to evening news broadcasts that featured smog reports, along with stories about nearby lakes and streams which pollution had rendered unfit for wildlife — and for humans. Responding to the urgency of that time, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle passed the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, created the Environmental Protection Agency, and began 50 years of progress. These laws and the regulations that came with them required the clean-up of industrial processes, reduced auto emissions and drove energy efficiency. Our natural environment today is better because of it. 

President Trump has never supported policies related to environmental stewardship, let alone climate change. His actions since taking office were expected, but not at the speed and scale we are seeing. He is reneging on federal grants and loans for clean energy projects already appropriated by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA); firing Federal workers in the EPA, the Department of Energy, NOAA and more; and purging any mention of climate change from government websites. It’s as if his goal is to take us back 50 years to the pollution of my boyhood days.

President Trump’s approach amounts to a colossal strategic mistake for our country. As he and his loyal staff decimate our clean energy investments, European and Asian nations — particularly China – watch with glee. They realize the U.S. is ceding our chance to be a leader in the clean energy economy of the future. The drill-baby-drill mantra sounds catchy to some, but the facts are indisputable that burning fossil fuels is harmful to human health. And there is no question that the severity and number of extreme weather events is rising, shattering lives and costing hundreds of billions of dollars to clean up and rebuild. These are not Democrat or Republican issues; they affect us all and we should be motivated to address them instead of burying our future in fossil fuels.

You may wonder, “What can I do?” Contact your congressional representatives and tell them that the IRA should be left intact, especially the tax credits for clean energy. The IRA has incentivized hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy and manufacturing investments, 80% of which have flowed to “red” states. In Wisconsin, investments have been made in over 40 clean energy and manufacturing facilities totaling over $3.2 billion. In my rural congressional district alone, represented by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, there are nine projects totaling $1.5 billion in investments, most of which is attributed to the Vista Sands solar project. On top of that, Dairyland Power received a $580 million Empowering Rural America (ERA) grant for clean energy projects.  Another 87 investments totaling $16.5 million have enabled clean energy projects like solar arrays for farmers, rural businesses and communities. And this doesn’t include the 30% tax credits these projects would also have filed for. Over 90 projects in less than two years benefiting our rural community: These are investments to be taken seriously.

Rather than labeling clean energy projects “the green new scam,” the Trump administration should embrace them as a key component of achieving “American energy dominance.” To meet the rapid growth in energy demand to boost domestic manufacturing and to help power AI and data centers, clean energy must be a part of the solution. 

The best way your legislators can serve you is to act in a bipartisan manner, especially when it comes to the environment. Like 50 years ago, urgent action is needed. Future generations of Americans depend on it.