On November 8th, Americans will head to the polls to elect the next President of The United States.  But if you ask scientist and Pennsylvania State University professor Michael Mann, Americans will also be deciding on a make or break verdict for the environment and the impact of climate change.  It is clear to Mann, and many other Americans, that the choice in November is either pro-environment or anti-environment.  And no one has been more anti-environment than Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.  

Trump’s stance on climate change
It is no secret that Donald Trump is not a friend of the environment.  In fact, he has often denied that climate change is happening, despite overwhelming evidence from the scientific community that has been accepted by most Americans.  Trump has gone so far as to call climate change a hoax invented by the Chinese in order to steal business away from America.  In the first presidential debate, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton called Trump out for this outrageous statement which he, along with many other statements, denied.  

In fact, Trump’s entire team denies these statements despite evidence that proves otherwise.  The Trump camp has simply changed their tune from saying that climate change doesn’t exist to admitting that it does exist but asserting that it is a naturally caused phenomenon and not a result of human behaviour.  This is an extremely dangerous way of thinking.  Trump is adamantly rejecting scientific evidence and going so far as to support increased fossil fuel burning.  

In rallies across America, Trump has criticized Clinton for insisting that climate change is the biggest problem facing our world.  It is infuriating to know that a person who could become president thinks the issue of climate change has no place on the stage of global problems.  

The truth in cartoons
Mann has partnered with political cartoonist Tom Toles to release a new book, “The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics And Driving Us Crazy.”  In the book, Toles utilizes his creative skills to illustrate exactly how disastrous a world with Trump at the helm would be.  

Toles’ cartoons showcase a lot of scary realities in an easily digestible way to shock and inform readers.  Toles makes the point that the White House is prioritizing healthcare and Wall Street at the sake of the planet.  He points out that the Paris Climate Agreement, of which Trump intends to pull the United States out of, is the world’s last chance solution for fighting global warming.  In another drawing, Toles shows Trump surrounded by his infamous wall with “climate reality” on the outside.  Of course, the enclosed Trump is still yelling that someone else will be paying for his wall.  

But we’re making progress
Despite the setbacks of Trump’s view on climate change, progress has been made in the last few years.  Global carbon emissions are actually on the decline while usage of renewable energy is increasing.  The Paris Climate Agreement, established almost one year ago, was a huge step in the right direction when countries from around the world agreed to work together to fight global warming.  Countries vowed to limit global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius per year.  

Mann and Toles also believe that the work started by the Obama administration is in line with the progress we need to see on climate change.  They point to Obama’s success in taking bold executive action and engaging in international diplomacy.  However, many of Obama’s plans for the planet have been stalled thanks to a Republican-strong congress, many of which are in Trump’s camp when it comes to notions on climate change.  If Trump gains power, the fear is that all of Obama’s hard work will be washed down the drain.  Mann and Toles believe that it is important to ensure we don’t allow Republicans who have no intention of taking any meaningful action against climate change to gain any positions in national office.    

Why you need to vote
The decision we make on November 8th will go down in history as the future of our planet hangs in the balance.  On one hand, there is a nominee who rejects all evidence of manmade climate change and wants to increase fossil fuel usage.  On the other, there is a nominee who accepts the scientific fact that climate change is caused by human behaviour.  She embraces putting a price on carbon and incentivizing renewable energy, plans that keep the environment front of mind.  If you are voting in support of our planet, there is only one winner here.  

The world is asking the United States to step up and be a leader in the fight against climate change.  Will we join them in embracing renewable energy and limiting carbon emissions or will we let a tyrant lead our planet to the brink of destruction?