Lies

Don’t Believe Trump

The Administration’s climate reports follow the same modus operandi President Donald Trump applies universally: issue an unending stream of lies and half-truths in order to brainwash, create doubt and confusion, and so defuse opposition to the lame and counterproductive policies he espouses.

His climate reports belong in the same realm as accusations of Haitians barbecuing people’s pets, that the Biden administration spent millions on making transgender mice, and that renewable energy is more expensive and harmful to the environment than coal — in the trash.

They are part intentional disinformation and part self-inflicted delusion. Trump is the latest in a long line of autocrats throughout history to take advantage of the unfortunate human characteristic of believing outlandish accusations and assertions in the absence of any supporting evidence.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: never believe a single word Trump says. Do extensive research on your own to find the facts.

Published by the Austin American-Statesman on September 6, 2025, in Letters//Opinions

Mark Warren, Member, Citizen’s Climate Lobby Austin

Science will prevail

Science Will Prevail

Re: Aug. 31 article, “Scientists: Climate is deeply flawed”

It is beyond mind boggling and painful to see what the Trump administration wants the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to repeal climate regulation and cherry-pick scientific findings to create doubt on proven facts, no matter what it does to the health of people.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. had an average of 3.7 events per year with a loss of more than $1 billion between 1980 and 1989. That shot up to an average of 18 events per year between 2013 and 2022. Each such event wrecks lives and livelihoods, and 2.3 million Texans who live within a half mile of oil and gas operations would be at a greater risk of methane pollution without these rules.

If rescinded, such irresponsible and cynical actions would be devastating for many. You can oppose repeal of “endangerment finding” of 2009 by submitting comments by September 21 through the EPA website.

Peer-reviewed research by scientists will stand the test of time.

Published by the Austin American-Statesman on September 6, 2025, in Opinions//Letters

Kalpana Sutaria, Member, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Austin, Architect, Author, and an environmental advocate dedicated to tackling Global Warming Challenges

Kalana Sutaria Book from Atmosphere
Science

Science Underpins the Work of Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Citizens’ Climate Lobby bases its work and policy initiatives on scientific evidence. In fact, you can study and learn about the science behind climate change on the organization’s website in the section, “Climate Change Science.” Topics range from greenhouse gases to the role of carbon dioxide, ozone to the impact of human beings on the climate. Citizens’ Climate Lobby provides this information free of charge as a public service.

Another insightful training CCL provides is called, “Weather Attribution Science,” and it focuses on the background behind attribution science – the process of quantifying the contribution of global warming to extreme weather – and other events. The training includes a discussion about the process for connecting climate change with extreme weather events.

Extreme weather is a significant concern for citizens of the State of Texas. As Texas Tribune laments, “Texas weather extremes likely to become normal, scientists say” (2024). Alejandra Martinez and Yuriko Schumacher report, “Climate scientists and academics say that as emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases continue to push temperatures higher, severe weather in the state is likely to worsen. They add that Texas will likely see a growing gap between wet parts of the state and dry parts as climate change alters precipitation patterns and warms oceans.” You can also listen to the article by click on the link above.

More recently, on May 3, 2025 Guardian US shared, “Scientific societies to do climate assessment after Trump administration dismissed authors.”

Two major US scientific societies have announced they will join forces to produce peer-reviewed research on the climate crisis’s impact days after Donald Trump’s administration dismissed contributors to a key Congress-mandated report on climate crisis preparedness.

On Friday, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU) said that they will work together to produce over 29 peer-reviewed journals that will cover all aspects of climate change including observations, projections, impacts, risks and solutions.

The collaboration comes just days after Trump’s administration dismissed all contributors to the sixth National Climate Assessment, the US government’s flagship study on climate change. The dismissal of nearly 400 contributors had left the future of the study in question.

We are delighted to see the good work continue. Factual information, rather than gossip and misinformation, are the best way to make qualified, realistic and informed decisions when it comes to understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change, and to protecting the citizens of the State of Texas.

Megan Johnson wrote for Harvard T. H. Chan, “Stopping Misinformation: Scientists and Medical Professionals are Important Players in Communicating Reliable Information” (2025). She observes, “In a highly complex information ecosystem, news travels fast. Whether it’s dispersed through traditional news publications, social media, or fringe outlets, the news can get warped. That’s why communicators are trying to find the best ways to share their messaging accurately and promptly.”

It is great to see high level training being provided to the science community to help them deal with misinformation and to respond quickly. It would be great to see an educational program developed for the public as well. In the meantime, be sure to sign up on the Citizens’ Climate Lobby website for the fact- and science-based trainings discussed above.

Check out our Bluesky feed @cclatx!

One thing the Austin Chapter of CCL has learned since joining Bluesky during the final months of 2024, is that many scientists are active on the platform. You can find us at @cclatx.bluesky.social, and we do share scientific updates in addition to our own organizational information. If you are interested in science and the facts behind climate change, Bluesky is the place to be!

Once you join Bluesky, look under “Discover” and follow hashtags like #Science #Climate Science #Climate Politics #Climate Change Sciences #Climate Crisis #Climate & Sustainability #Climate Adaptation and more. You can also follow “Lists” like “Climate Science, Impacts and Solutions.” Katharine Hayhoe has several “starter packs” that help you quickly identify influential scientists to follow. Among them are, “US National Nature Assessment Authors,” “Climate Justice,” “Climate + Finance” (and more). Our experience on Bluesky has been terrific and we learn a lot every time we “log in.”

Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence.

Louis Pasteur, French scientist (1822-1895)

Lawmakers, listen to the scientists, and work to provide a reliable grid

Re: Sept. 12 article, “Texans pay millions for units that can restart power grid, but some went out during freeze.”

I am thankful that a total shutdown of the state’s power grid was averted. But it is deeply disturbing to find out that the ‘black start’ power plants were not fully prepared to back up the grid.

The Texas Legislature passed several laws during the 2021 regular session to address shortcomings at the power plants. The Public Utility Commission has to act in the best interest of all Texans and demand reliable weatherization standards for power plants, including the black start plants, from the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas, incorporating future scientific projections on climate change. ERCOT is neither transparent nor responsible. Is the Legislature going to impose penalties if power outages occur?

Power politics plays out.

Texas Legislature can help its people by saving lives and billions of dollars in economic damages by listening to climate scientists and have a reliable power grid.

Kalpana Sutaria

Austin American-Statesman

September 22, 2021

No vaccine for climate change. We must act

Despite the President’s claim that COVID-19 will disappear, scientists are quite clear that it is worsening. If only we had listened to the experts, we could have prevented such loss of life, financial destruction and the world’s disbelief that America could no longer lead. This situation is about to repeat itself. Our next pandemic is climate change.

Scientists warned us in the ’80s that if we didn’t act, the cost, loss of life and the future of our planet would be in danger. We are now seeing that these predictions are coming true.

September was the hottest month recorded since temperature tracking began. Today, there are weather extremes around our planet. We have seen this movie before and it does not end well. We may find a cure for the virus, but there is no vaccine for climate change.

We must act now for our children and grandchildren.

Dale Bulla

Austin American-Statesman

November 3, 2020