Climate is on the ballot this November: Who’s offering a real path forward this election?

Allentown, Pennsylvania—the city I serve as Mayor—has been in the news as the epicenter of numerous political speeches, with nearly 40,000 of our residents identifying as Puerto Rican, and as one of the places where two presidential candidates are presenting very different visions for the future. We are looking at a toss-up, which means both candidates need to shore up undecided voters– in particular, Latinos. Climate is a hot-button issue that is being overlooked despite its pernicious impact on Americans. This singular issue drives up home insurance costs, raises food prices, and endangers our health and that of our families. When voters examine the scorecards, the answer to who offers a path forward on climate becomes evident.

Donald Trump has been downplaying the impact of climate change throughout his 2024 campaign. Just this week at a rally here, he said “drilling and fracking is good” and on a Fox News interview he lied to the American people by saying that drilling “is good for the environment.” Under his first administration, he rolled back over 100 environmental and climate policies that were designed to protect our nation’s water, air, and wildlife. Trump also has consistently referred to climate change as a hoax, a reckless and even dangerous stance to take when we consider the Latino community is suffering consequential effects because of the climate crisis, which has been scientifically proven for some time now.

Claiming that climate change is not real doesn’t mitigate or protect Latino families from extreme weather events. It simply allows the leaders who make these false and misleading claims to stand by the sidelines while lives and livelihoods are hurt, sometimes irreversibly. For many Latino households, climate isn’t an abstract issue but rather a tangible kitchen table concern that demands immediate attention and action, whether it be housing stability or job security.

A second Trump administration threatens the job security of thousands who have benefited from the Biden-Harris Inflation Reduction Act’s investment in clean energy production. It would likely lead to reduced funding for FEMA, which is currently assisting state and local governments in recovering from extreme weather events such as wildfires that have destroyed homes and hurricanes that have devastated local businesses. Additionally, it would eliminate regulations that ensure clean air and water, leaving us no choice but to buy bottled water– an added expense to our already high grocery bills. And why are groceries so expensive? Climate change is a significant factor.

As we’ve seen with Hurricanes Helene and Milton, extreme weather events also disrupt supply chains, affecting the availability and prices of essential goods. Hurricanes, in particular, can damage infrastructure, leading to delays in the distribution of food and basic needs. According to Wilton Simpson, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Hurricane Milton caused over a billion dollars in damages to farmers and ranchers in Florida. This disruption disproportionately affects Latino communities, as many of my Puerto Rican constituents can attest. Thousands of climate refugees from Puerto Rico relocated to Pennsylvania after Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm, ravaged the island seven years ago.

Many had to leave after Trump severely hindered the much-needed aid, imposed strict restrictions on the approval and distribution of disaster funding, and minimized the impact the hurricane had on the community. Even today, Puerto Ricans are constantly reminded of the storm’s impact on their island’s infrastructure, with power outages occurring daily. Legislation such as the IRA–for which Vice President Harris was the tie-breaking vote– and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law address these issues by including investments in resilient infrastructure to ensure a more stable and reliable supply chain.

Project 2025, which serves as Trump’s unofficial blueprint for his vision of America, aims to upend multiple agencies that benefit Americans. To begin with, the document indicates an intention to dismantle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency responsible for monitoring global weather and climate. This move is likely motivated by the agency’s role in fact-checking many of Trump’s claims. Additionally, Project 2025 targets resiliency projects that are crucial for saving lives as extreme weather events become even more severe. This radical agenda will raise energy and food costs and put us all at risk.

In contrast to Trump’s fossil fuel-only approach, Vice President Kamala Harris offers a reasonable and forward-looking vision for addressing climate change. Her administration would build on the work started by President Biden, which focuses on protecting the environment while creating jobs and lowering costs for working-class families. In Pennsylvania, the Biden-Harris Clean Energy Plan has helped revitalize manufacturing jobs and made substantial investments in clean energy initiatives, leading to notable increases in local tax revenues. For instance, the Harley Davidson facility in York, Pennsylvania, received a grant that has safeguarded over 1,300 union jobs and created additional positions to produce electric motorcycles.

Vice President Harris sees clean air and water as essential human rights and envisions an opportunity economy where climate has a key role. Her commitment to clean energy and sustainability promises long-term savings and a healthier planet for today’s and future generations.

Harris’s record on climate can play out in her favor. According to a recent BSP Research and Climate Power poll, young Latino men?a demographic Vice President Harris is struggling to connect with?support holding Big Oil accountable and oppose Trump’s rollback of clean energy investments. This data point could contain an important key to unlock support from this group of voters, which the Harris campaign is currently trying to reach.

In these crucial final days, as the nation stands at a crossroads, voters should review each candidate’s climate record closely. The future of our country and planet hinges on informed decisions made today. The bottom line is that when Puerto Ricans needed him the most, he threw paper towels as a response, and he hasn’t changed a bit, as we saw after his New York rally. Trump primarily caters to the interests of billionaires and fossil fuel companies, whereas Vice President Harris is focused on protecting communities and providing economic stability while protecting the environment. Will you choose a leader who treats us with respect, and will move us forward with vision and integrity? Or one that denigrates us, sits idle, and prioritizes personal gain? The choice is yours.

(*) Matthew Tuerk, Allentown’s Mayor.

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