In this newsletter: Council’s Biggest Earth Month Ever
Launch: Year-Round Organizing Map | Chair on the Road

Council Advisor in NEJ | Democratic Orgs-Call to Action

 Chair: On MLK & Direct Action | Utah Court Win | DNC Calls to Act

Resistance Tools | Climate Polling & Messaging

Protect the Monarch | DNC Jobs | Watch & Read

Hello Climate Activist,

As Earth Month comes to an end, I am filled with hope. Given the times we live in, that may seem odd. But it is heartfelt.

Here's the unvarnished truth: Trump’s first 100 days have been a disaster. A disaster for our democracy. A disaster for our economy. A disaster for our rights and freedoms. And a disaster for efforts to fight the climate crisis. He is laying waste to our rights, democracy, climate and environment, including: 

• Removed the US from the Paris Agreement (for the second time)

• Ordering a stop to construction of an offshore wind project that would power more than 500K homes

• Fired hundreds of federal workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Proposing to destroy protections for endangered and threatened species

• Allowing and encouraging logging, mining and drilling on public lands

• Issued Executive Orders to block enforcement of state and local laws that regulate production or use of coal, oil and methane gas

• Dismissed the authors of the US government’s Congressionally-mandated report on climate risks and impacts, the 6th National Climate Assessment report

But despite all this, I have hope. I have hope because I stood with millions of people in every state this month to say Hands Off. I have hope because this Earth Month has been the Council's largest ever. I have hope as I watch May Day events being planned all over the country. I have hope because we, the people, are fighting back. And it is working, Trump’s poll numbers are declining. He is backtracking on some policies. And Democrats on Capitol Hill are showing more fight. 

I am not going to lie – we still have a lot more work to do. But as we end this momentous month, I choose to believe that we will, in the end, prevail and win. 

So thank you for all you have done. And most importantly thank you for all you will continue to do to protect our country and this planet. 

In service, 

Michelle Deatrick

Chair, DNC Environment and Climate Crisis Council

🌏 DEMOCRATS MOBILIZING FOR EARTH MONTH: Our Biggest Year Ever!

The Council’s 4th Annual Earth Month Mobilization was our biggest ever, with more than 75 Democratic environmental events across the country.

From Georgia to Michigan, from Nebraska to Pennsylvania, Arizona and North Carolina and more – in national events and in 17 states, Democrats cleaned up highways and beaches, fought for public transportation and clean water, and rallied for a sustainable future.

🗓️ EVERY MONTH IS EARTH MONTH: The Council Launches a YEAR-ROUND Mobilizing Map

Every month is Earth Month. Every day is Earth Day. And with so much at stake for our country and planet, the Council is launching our YEAR-ROUND Organizing Map. Find or Host an Environmental, Climate, Rural or Agriculture Event. We will publicize, and with a few days’ notice, will provide graphics. Events can be virtual or in-person, held by grassroots, Democratic and other environmental groups! Find events across the country and online.

No event in your community? Our event host toolkit has information to get started.

🗣️ CHAIR ON THE ROAD & IN THE NEWS

Florida: Council and Chair Deatrick Campaigned for Congressional Candidates & Kicked Off Democratic Environmental Caucus Earth Day Celebration

Florida’s special elections for its 1st and 6th congressional districts showcased Democrats’ hard work. We are making progress in deep red districts, narrowing Florida's margins significantly since November. The DNC Climate Council recruited phone bankers from across the country, and Chair Deatrick traveled to Florida to support Democratic candidates Gay Valimont and Josh Weil – and to fight for people, planet and democracy.

And at the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida’s Earth Day Celebration, Chair Deatrick kicked off a panel discussion that featured Richard Grosso, Land Use and Environmental Attorney, and Shannon Estenoz, former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Rock Aboujaoude, Jr., DECF Youth Engagement Committee Chair, moderated.

On-Line: YDA Roundtable with CDA, HSDA, YDA & DNC Leaders Celebrates Women’s History Month

The Young Democrats of America’s Environmental Caucus Roundtable explored the importance of women leading on climate. Speakers: YDA Executive VP Dyna Kristine Martínez, College Democrats Environmental Caucus Chair Madelyne Comley, High School Democrats Women’s Caucus Chair Celine Chang and Chair Deatrick. Moderated by YDA Environmental Caucus Vice Chair Ciara Hart.

Michigan: Chair Deatrick at Hands Off Rally, Earth Month Rally, EPA Rally

On Saturday, April 5th, millions of Americans protested Trump and Musk’s actions. Chair Deatrick spoke at a Michigan rally, disparaging Trump’s reckless harms to our environment, federal workers, farms and future. Michelle also spoke at an April 26th Earth Week event, People Have the Power: A Green Future is Yours to Build and attended an Earth Day Rally celebrating the work of federal workers. Read more at the Council’s blog.

✍️ COUNCIL ADVISOR DR. LINDA RUDOLPH IN NEJ: Education Needed on Fossil Fuel Health Impacts

Council Policy Advisor Dr. Linda Rudolph, a public health professional with decades of experience in local and state government and non-profits, co-authored, with Dr. Vishnu Laalitha Surapaneni, a piece in the New England Journal of Medicine, Clearing the Smoke on Fossil Fuels – The Health Imperative for a Countermarketing Campaign. Rudolph and Surapaneni argue for a large-scale public education campaign on fossil fuels’ devastating and harmful health impacts. The matter is imperative. Each year, they note, “an estimated 5 million to 8.7 million people globally, including as many as 350,000 in the United States, die prematurely because of air pollution from combustion of coal, oil, and gas.”

🏛️ DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION CALL TO ACTION: Join the Council & Other Democratic Groups to Urge Congress to End Polluter Handouts

The Council joined a broad coalition of community leaders and organizations calling for an end to polluter handouts in this letter to Congress. The YDA Environmental Caucus and ten DEN groups urged Congress to stop giving federal tax cuts and handouts of $20 BILLION a year to fossil fuel corporations that are polluting our air and water and fueling the climate crisis. Groups signing on included the Florida Democratic Environmental Caucus, as well as Florida Democratic Environmental Caucuses representing these counties: Alachua County, Collier County, Escambia County, Leon County, Martin County, Palm Beach County, Pasco County, and St. Johns County.

If your Democratic Party organization would like to sign on, email info@dncclimate.org with “End Polluter Handouts” in the subject line and we’ll be in touch.

💡CHAIR DEATRICK: Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail Speaks – We Must Take to the Streets

62 years ago this month, Dr. King’s landmark letter was smuggled out of the Birmingham, Alabama, City Jail where he was imprisoned for nonviolent, peaceful demonstrations against segregation. In 62 Years Later, Dr. King’s Letter Speaks: We Must Take to the Streets in ever Greater Numbers and Never Give Up, Deatrick argues that public demonstrations are vitally important:

It is going to take millions of us. Millions of us on the streets and on the sidewalks. Millions of us raising our voices and making ourselves heard outside the state houses, outside the Capitol and outside the White House… Without we – we the people – gathering and peacefully resisting, we will not win. 

Subscribe to Chair Deatrick’s blog, No Time to Wait, to receive future pieces.

🚨 VICTORY: Our Children’s Trust Climate Wins in Utah

The Utah Supreme Court ruled that Utah’s energy laws give the government full authority to deny permits and phase out fossil fuel development because of climate change to protect the health of Utah’s citizens in Natalie v. State of Utah. This case also led to an amendment removing the mandate for the government to promote fossil fuels and paves the way for other youth plaintiffs to challenge specific state fossil fuel activities. Thank you to Our Children's Trust for their continued work for our youth and their climate future.

💪 TAKE ACTION: Opportunities to Fight Trump Via the DNC

The Blue Print is a new DNC Substack which outlines key races, shares information on DNC work, and amplifies the work of Democrats. Subscribe.

Get involved ahead of local, state and federal elections with the DNC’s Take Action page. For real-time updates on how to help with elections going forward, text VOLUNTEER to 43367.

🔧 RESISTANCE TOOLS: Strategic Resources for Trump-Harmed Environmental Communities

These resources on federal policy tracking and archiving are designed to equip advocates, policymakers, and local leaders with actionable tools, research, and data to drive meaningful, sustainable progress.

1. Lawyers for Good Government’s intake form is for grantees and subgrantees impacted by the federal funding freeze, grant cancellation or other actions jeopardizing the flow of federal funding committed in the IRA or BIL. Impacted organizations can fill out the form to seek legal support or share their story.

2. UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment released a map of DOE-funded projects, which overwhelmingly required community benefit plans to articulate worker and community benefits from their projects. Use this map to see where projects may still be underway, and to continue engaging developers on their benefit commitments.

3. Impact Project’s Impact Map tracks the Trump-Vance Administration’s real-time policy, funding, and workforce changes and their localized effects, documenting impacts and harms.

4. Columbia Law is tracking the Trump-Vance Administration’s actions to destroy our climate progress with the Inflation Reduction Act Tracker.

🧠 YALE REPORTS: Climate Change Polling & Renewable Energy Messaging

Report #1: Climate Change in the American Mind – Beliefs & Attitudes, Fall 2024

The terrific Yale Program on Climate Change Communication explores Americans’ thoughts on climate change and how it is affecting them. Read their recent report. Key findings:

• Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who do not by more than 5 to 1 (73% to 14%).

• Two-thirds of Americans think global warming is affecting U.S. weather.

• More than 1 in 10 have considered moving to avoid climate change harms.

Report #2: Is Messaging Based on Moral Appeals to Renewable Energy Effective?

Key findings from a report by Yale and the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Public Engagement: 

• Messages about the harms of fossil fuels to human health and the natural environment can increase support for renewable energy.

• Positive effects of messaging last for at least three weeks.

• Emphasizing morality and ethics as a reason for an energy transition did not increase the strength of messaging.

Report #3: Public Opinion on Climate Across the Country

Public opinion on global warming and levels of public worry about it vary across the country. The map is here. Key findings:

• Majorities in 47 states support a U.S. transition from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050.

• Urban areas are more supportive of the clean energy transition than rural areas.

• Majorities of Americans in all 50 states think that global warming is affecting the weather in the U.S.

📣 ACT FOR BIODIVERSITY: Submit Public Comment to Protect Monarch Butterflies

Monarch populations have declined by 80% in the last twenty years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate the monarch as a threatened species and assign them a critical habitat. The public comment period has been extended to May 19: submit your comment via GreenLatinos’ form (thank you to our ally organization, GreenLatinos!)

✅ APPLY: DNC Open Positions

The DNC is hiring for a wide range of positions in finance, legal, digital mobilization, operations, political and organizing, and voter protection.

📚 RECOMMENDED: Watch and Read

• CENTER FOR INFORMATION AND RESEARCH ON CIVIC LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT: The Youth Vote in 2024

• DATA FOR PROGRESS: Climate Substack. Subscribe to DFP’s climate-focused Substack for their latest climate polling, insights and reading lists.

• U.S. COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVATION INITIATIVE: 2025 State of the Birds Report. Tragically, birds across most habitats have suffered major losses since 1970

• ENVIRONMENTAL VOTER PROJECT: How Women are Shaping the Climate Vote. Watch tonight 4/30. Data presentation and panel discussion with Dr. Ayana Johnson, Dominique Browning, Camila Thorndike