On the Fourth of July, Donald Trump signed his “mega-bill.” The law boosts the dying fossil fuel industry with tens of billions of taxpayer dollars. It invites an additional 470 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2035 — that’s the equivalent annual emissions of more than 100 million gas-powered cars. And it aims to stop dead in its tracks the clean energy transition and the green manufacturing jobs boom the Inflation Reduction Act was already starting to create.

Just hours later, a climate-fueled storm settled over and dumped  four months worth of rain  on Texas Hill Country. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet within 45 minutes.The resulting flash floods killed at least 104 people – at the time of this writing, although that number will go up – mostly in Kerr County. That death toll includes dozens of young girls attending the Camp Mystic youth camp.
This disaster was not a random event. It was a crisis written by the climate crisis and made far worse by the types of policies being pushed by this administration every day.
Trump’s disastrous bill
Before the absurdly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act landed on Trump’s desk, his administration had already begun gutting America’s frontline defenses against climate disasters – like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s climate labs, the National Weather Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
As questions abound about why parts of the flood-impacted region did not receive adequate warning about the floods, Trump insisted that “no-body expected it” and it was a “once in 100 years” event.
But storms like this, as well as increased flooding from the Guadalupe River, were expected – and predicted. The US Geological Survey – another vital body Trump is trying to eviscerate – issued a report to that effect in 2019.
The science is clear: warmer air holds more moisture, intensifying storms and accelerating flood risk. We’re now witnessing the violent proof of these predictions.

As the people of Texas grieve and the country grieves with them, their pain is our warning.
We are at a crossroads: We can double down on denial and let superstorms, heatwaves, droughts, floods, and fires determine our fate. Or we can lead – with science, resilience, courage, and a recommitment to our values.If we harness our outrage and come together to fight like hell for our collective future, we will win. Because when people stand up and demand a safe planet, nothing – not even rising water – can drown the American spirit.

The writer is the executive director of the Sierra Club and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania.