Following a year marked by devastating fires, hurricanes, and record-breaking temperatures, the U.S. is set to withdraw from the Paris Climate agreement for a second time. On Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, immediately following his inauguration, Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders, one of which was to begin the process of the withdrawal. The Paris Climate agreement, a legally binding treaty marking a commitment between nations to work against climate change, consists of all but three countries in the United Nations.
President Trump has also pledged his support to fossil fuel productions and lists this as a reason for pulling out of the Paris Climate agreement among issues with other climate protections. These statements and executive orders are weighing heavily on Berkeley High School students.
“Things are pretty unclear right now as how to approach what has happened. I know that a lot of students including myself are furious about the climate protections Trump is removing, and feel nervous, as we already lack a lot of crucial protections science shows are necessary,” Maggie Hougan, BHS senior and BHS Green Team secretary, said, “We will continue to advocate for the use of voter outreach to help pass climate legislation and political action through large established organizations.”
Many have expressed how the climate agreement is imperfect, having been unable to fully meet goals among other inadequacies, but noted it is a valuable first step in cutting emissions and getting countries involved.
Green Team Member Jacob Budakian, a BHS junior, said, “The withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement is the canary in the coal mine. The agreement didn’t have any significant impact on policy, but it did set the precedent that climate change was real and was a problem that needed to be addressed.”
On a more personal note, Budakian has been involved in environmental restoration and worries about the security of these programs. “Over the last six months I’ve been on a forestry crew and a backcountry restoration crew, both of which were funded by Biden era grants. I fear that in the next couple of years environmental nonprofits and organizations will be forced to cater towards donors and be more dependent on wealthy individuals rather than government funds,” Budakian said.
Seeing President Trump enact policies that work to remove environmental protections is particularly disheartening for student activists who have been actively working towards climate justice.
“Anyone that understands the threat of climate change is likely feeling the weight of Trump’s recent policies,” said Ilana Nickolaus, BHS senior and co-president of the BHS Green Team, “Trump’s decisions can be very discouraging, and I think a lot of climate activists right now are trying to focus on the work that can still be done despite the president’s recent decisions.”
Nickolaus explained that the Green Team has been incorporating time to respond to Trump administration policies during their meetings. Alongside making space to discuss these current events, the club has been working to remove invasive species in Tilden, something crucial in wildfire-prone California. They’ve also been fundraising, this month having raised $320 for the Los Angeles fire department.
BHS’s Sunrise Club has emphasized the importance of intersectionality while advocating for environmental and social justice.
“We want to organize with others, especially around ICE and Trump’s plan for mass deportation because that is one of the most prevalent issues right now that is affecting our community,” wrote BHS Sunrise leadership in an email to the Jacket, “We see how they create fear that prevents people from leaving their homes. Taking climate action is directly tied to immigration. As the climate crisis continues to worsen we continue to see people needing to flee. In addition, we know that people who are in detention centers are vulnerable to heat waves, droughts, and other climate-caused disasters.”
According to Sunrise leadership, it is essential for activists to join together as these issues can’t be removed from one another.
“We need to build relationships with other clubs and movements because all of these issues are interconnected,” Sunrise leadership wrote, “All these executive orders are designed to make us feel like giving up and surrendering to this madness. We’re not going to take that. We are fighting back, and taking strategic action for our demands.”