Arizona boasts its world-famous natural wonder, the Grand Canyon, Native American heritage and culture, and record-breaking arid summers, but any long-time Arizona resident knows that this summer’s increasing temperatures are reason for alarm. And it isn’t just Phoenix; New York City hit 99 °F this summer, breaking a 137-year-old June record, and Boston—known for its typically mild summers—soared to 102 °F, shattering its previous June high by nearly 7 degrees.
Whether you’re liberal or conservative, climate change is real, and it’s slowly affecting our lives daily. Our heatwaves have become more intense, natural disasters more frequent, and agriculture more inefficient.
Simply put, the increase in greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, which traps the gas and heat, causes global warming, and carbon emissions from our factories, vehicles, and power plants are the most obvious inputs. But deeper than these direct contributions, politics play an immersed role in our planet’s rising temperatures and falling wildlife.
For decades, many politicians ignored or downplayed climate science—often to protect industries like oil, coal, and gas. In the U.S., Congress has failed to pass strong national climate laws for years due to partisan gridlock. During his first term, current President Donald J. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement in 2017, and after former President Joe Biden’s decision to rejoin in 2021, Trump initiated the process to leave the agreement once again in January of this year. Governments often subsidize fossil fuels (billions of dollars annually) instead of investing in public transportation, renewable energy, and climate-resilient infrastructure. This keeps dirty energy cheaper and slows the clean energy transition.
In a country where contemporary ‘American core values’ seem to oddly align with making the rich richer, oil and gas companies spend hundreds of millions lobbying politicians to block climate policies. The world’s five largest publicly‑traded oil & gas companies (BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total) spend about $200 million per year just attempting to convince politicians to oppose any policies that could potentially help global warming. Fossil fuel PACs fund the campaigns of politicians who counter climate action, and some political leaders even deny plain science because of pressure from these industries.
Politicians have spread doubt or false claims about climate change. In an August 2022 interview, Senator Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑GA) said, “People die in the cold. This Earth warming, and carbon, is actually healthy for us. It helps us to feed people, it keeps people alive”—contrary to the scientific consensus that the costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time. Greene incorrectly hypothesizes that “Maybe our climate just changes…the climate’s always changed.” She tweeted that climate change is a “scam” and that “fossil fuels are natural and amazing” in 2023. In 2024, Greene accused Democrats of controlling the weather after Hurricane Helene happened to impact many Republican states, denying the increase in extreme weather due to climate change. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), who seems to hold many similar views to those of Greene, called human-caused climate change “bullsh*t” and described warming as “lunacy,” suggesting that the climate has just “always changed.” Johnson also suggested carbon dioxide was actually good for the environment, as it “helps the trees grow.”
Preventing climate change requires political action at every level, from voting to policy advocacy. One of the most powerful things we can do is elect leaders who support bold climate policies, like clean energy standards and carbon emission limits. Beyond the ballot box, we can push for legislation that holds polluters accountable, funds renewable infrastructure, and prioritizes climate justice for low-income and Indigenous communities. Local action matters too—advocating at school boards or city councils can lead to cleaner transit, greener schools, and stronger climate education. Supporting ballot initiatives or joining activist groups like the Sunrise Movement or the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition allows young people to directly influence change. Even if you can’t vote yet, you can write to lawmakers, attend town halls, and spread awareness on social media. Finally, pushing for a just transition—where fossil fuel workers are supported as we shift to a green economy—ensures that climate action is not only urgent, but fair.
Layann Albanna, 2025 Summer Intern