Sustainability voices react to Donald Trump's victory
Early reactions to his ascendancy to the Oval Office mixed shock with calls to action.
Don't kill the messenger; Twitter channeled plenty of political poison in the 2016 presidential contest, but it also served as an organizing platform and a therapeutic outlet on a global scale. By its own count, 1 billion election-related tweets have run since August last year, and election-day tweets exceeded those from the day President Barack Obama won in 2012 by at least 8 million.
Reactions on Twitter among business sustainability leaders and the GreenBiz community at large were largely silent around midnight Pacific as Donald Trump delivered a victory speech. Is it the late hour or the shock? David Crane, for one, declared #Imwithher here just days ago. Nate Silver's forecast was favoring a "Pantsuit Nation" for Hillary Clinton at the start of election day.
Trump has famously tweeted that climate change is "a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese,” has vowed to yank the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and offers a fossil-fuel-focused energy platform. What does his win mean for professionals engaged in alternative energy, resilient cities, sustainable food systems, green building and beyond? Here are early reactions from the cusp of Trump's upset and immediately following it. We'll add more as they come.
An open letter to the @GreenBiz community about last night … and this morning https://t.co/7j9f9ARDJh pic.twitter.com/T6yeEQcsEj
— Joel Makower (@makower) November 9, 2016
#ClimateMojo: In The Midst Of Tears On The Way To Marrakech:https://t.co/xzV0qPDqS8
— Carl Pope (@CarlPope) November 9, 2016
Well my work is even more relevant in this new paradigm!! I woke up ready to work!! Let's go!!!!!
— Kimberly Lewis (@KLewisGreenGirl) November 9, 2016
Gr8 piece from @ckrosinsky on future of sustainable investing in Trump Era https://t.co/N2CuFavsGW #greensports #ActOnClimate
— Lewis Blaustein (@GreenSportsBlog) November 9, 2016
The world needs us - #Canadian #women let's go to work! Our great Minister for Status of women .@min_swc .@PattyHajdu leads us. #wom_en16 pic.twitter.com/gBqgYPHr4E
— Helle Bank Jorgensen (@HelleBankJorgen) November 9, 2016
The future is never gone, never hopeless. No one has ever lived in the best possible world. There has always been a fight to fight.
— Near deGrasse Tyson (@DrNeilTyson) November 9, 2016
I feel like I'm back in grad school trying to prove myself as a woman
— Peggy M. Ward, Ph.D. (@PeggyatKC) November 9, 2016
"This Is How Much America Hates Women" https://t.co/J0b4d3rKAH
All bets are off: 4 takeaways on what President Trump means for the power sector: https://t.co/8XJ1ROJd4H
— Utility Dive (@UtilityDive) November 9, 2016
Stunned. Determined. And recalibrating to the long game.
— Gil Friend (@gfriend) November 9, 2016
Bright spark from the US elections: progress to end the failed war on drugs: https://t.co/dSokIveJpb pic.twitter.com/EzFZrq84J1
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) November 9, 2016
How President Trump will affect clean energy and the climate change fight: https://t.co/1lvCjize1g pic.twitter.com/z4aOgMKurS
— Katie Fehrenbacher (@katiefehren) November 9, 2016
Silver lining https://t.co/T3voh7oRkZ
— Chitra Agrawal (@ABCDsofCooking) November 9, 2016
Not to be pessimistic, but Donald Trump could be a disaster for the planet https://t.co/NOIBtOlvzj @bradplumer via @voxdotcom pic.twitter.com/8VtMEkUtxa
— Hugh Byrne (@hdbyrne) November 9, 2016
2) The fossil fuel industry is in a fight for its life. They're fighting a mobilized movement & their stake in this election was no secret.
— 350 dot org (@350) November 9, 2016
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” — John Burroughs #WeNeedNature pic.twitter.com/bNV6xn62ui
— Conservation Intl (@ConservationOrg) November 9, 2016
Take care of each other, everyone. We're going to need to be at our best starting tomorrow morning.
— Michael Brune (@bruneski) November 9, 2016
Huge economic turbulence ahead.
— Alex Steffen (@AlexSteffen) November 9, 2016
Will Trump be the asteroid that killed the unicorns?
Gotta be on the minds of many here in the Bay Area.
These are still here. The #globalgoals still exist. The world marches on. Now more than ever we must fight for positive progression. pic.twitter.com/FYEWSGzcdC
— The Global Goals (@TheGlobalGoals) November 9, 2016
Just got a weeny bit harder - but we'll make it happen! https://t.co/cpUDuvQiCT
— John Elkington (@volansjohn) November 9, 2016
And so it starts. https://t.co/CHvmggJ21L
— Graham Readfearn (@readfearn) November 9, 2016
It will continue in many other places if we don´t start to listen https://t.co/SxT9jHqcAb
— Gabi Zedlmayer (@GabiZed) November 9, 2016
Values & principles matter more than ever. So does building future oriented economy that works for all. Just got harder, but more important.
— (((Aron Cramer))) (@aroncramer) November 9, 2016
Yes. This entire string of tweets is worth reading right now. I will never give up trying to make a better world. #ElectionNight https://t.co/hW6fjgwicC
— Elaine Hsieh (@elaineishere) November 9, 2016
Here’s a toast and a prayer for the good health and long life of Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Stephen Breyer
— Joel Makower (@makower) November 9, 2016
.@VanJones68: “It's hard to be a parent tonight. ... You tell your kids don’t be a bully" and then have this outcome https://t.co/wVIP9gCvCu
— CNN (@CNN) November 9, 2016
It is so close... no one can say their vote does not make a difference #Election2016
— Shaandiin Cedar (@ShaandiinCedar) November 9, 2016
This baby iguana being chased by snakes seems like a metaphor for so many things right now. #ElectionNight #ParisAgreement #COP22 https://t.co/hExNDZEb6Q
— Elaine Hsieh (@elaineishere) November 8, 2016
Really? You mean “issues” are a thing? https://t.co/SzQIzeYjCI
— Joel Makower (@makower) November 7, 2016
