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Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Democrats' path to power Is ‘climate populism', US representative says
US Representative Yassamin Ansari said that getting rid of renewables 'is a mistake when you're talking about energy costs'. SEATTLE – Populist messages on climate change, including the potential for cleaner energy to lower electricity bills, are crucial as the Democrats seek to win back control of Congress in 2026's midterm election, according to Representative Yassamin Ansari. 'This climate populism message is one that we really need to lean into,' the Arizona Democrat said at the Bloomberg Green Seattle conference on July 15. 'When it comes to the cost of living, there is a clear connection between your utility prices and your energy costs and, in Arizona, your AC bills being higher than ever.' Republicans 'are entirely focusing our energy portfolio on oil and gas', explained Ms Ansari, warning that getting rid of renewables 'is a mistake when you're talking about energy costs'. Before entering Congress in 2025, Ms Ansari spent her career working on climate both internationally and locally. Now, she's spending much of her time calling out President Donald Trump's administration and the Republican-controlled Congress for cutting climate funding and rolling back climate policies. 'Some of the legislation in recent weeks, especially the Trump budget Bill – it represents some of the worst environmental rollbacks we've ever seen,' she said at the conference. Instead of focusing solely on the risks these Bills pose to the climate, Ms Ansari said Democrats should focus on how the legislation impacts people. Inflation ranks as one of the top three issues most concerning to Americans, while climate change ranks near the bottom, according to recent Pew Research Centre polling. The recent tax legislation signed into law by Mr Trump earlier in July, which pulls back federal support for new clean energy production, could cause electricity rates to increase between 9 per cent to 18 per cent by 2035, according to an analysis by the environmental think tank Energy Innovation. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Asia Indonesia police detain 12 suspects over baby trafficking ring linked to Singapore Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Beyond focusing on the impacts the Bill will have, Ms Ansari said, Democrats need to refine their vision for the future. 'Now is a really important time for Democrats to plan when it comes to what is the legislation that we want to push forward when we have the House, and again when we have the trifecta' of both chambers of Congress and the presidency. Bloomberg
Straits Times
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Jane Fonda warns climate and democracy are both in crisis
Fonda said her PAC is 'building a firewall' against Mr Trump at the local and state level. Jane Fonda, one of Hollywood's most outspoken actors and campaigners, has urged fresh action to tackle failures in politics and progress on emissions reduction. 'We have two essential crises and for both, it's now or never: democracy and climate,' 87-year-old Fonda told the Bloomberg Green Seattle conference on July 14. 'We're losing the democratic infrastructure and norms to deal with climate, and we're losing the climate stability that is essential for democracy. We have to solve them together.' Fonda has spent much of the past decade raising attention to the issue. Her climate activism started in 2019, when she launched what she called Fire Drill Fridays, a series of weekly protests near the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. She started her protest to denounce climate inaction and call for the end of fossil fuel use, and was arrested more than once. 'I turned 82 in jail,' said Fonda. When protesting was not bringing about change fast enough, Fonda got more directly involved in politics. In 2022, she launched the Jane Fonda Climate Political Action Committee, or PAC, to support political candidates and other groups. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms, 1 lawyer over seized properties Opinion What we can do to fight the insidious threat of 'zombie vapes' Asia China's economy grows 5.3% in first half of 2025, momentum slowing amid trade tensions Business 'Some cannot source outside China': S'pore firms' challenges and support needed amid US tariffs Multimedia From local to global: What made top news in Singapore over the last 180 years? Singapore Turning tragedy into advocacy: Woman finds new purpose after paralysis Opinion Sumiko at 61: Everything goes south when you age, changing your face from a triangle to a rectangle Sport Poor water quality off Sentosa delays World Aquatics C'ship open water swimming event by a day The PAC raised nearly US$2 million (S$2.56 million) in the 2022 election cycle and more than US$5.7 million for 2024, according to data compiled by nonprofit Open Secrets. To make the biggest impact, Fonda said, her PAC is laser-focused on supporting down-ballot state and local elections, including for mayors, city councilors and state legislators. The group has exclusively backed Democrats. 'The most important thing is to elect climate champions up and down the ballot, all over the country, starting yesterday,' she says. The PAC has already endorsed or supported some 170 candidates who won their races, according to Fonda. Climate policies are under assault at the national level in 2025, with US President Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans in control of both branches of Congress. Mr Trump has rolled back a number of policies and cut climate grants and signed a law earlier in June that winds down tax credits for renewables and other carbon-cutting technology like electric vehicles. Fonda said her PAC is 'building a firewall' against Mr Trump at the local and state level. But she argued it takes more than money to address large challenges – and implored the room of attendees to take action. 'Everybody rise up, protest, make yourself heard,' Fonda said, adding it was important to help people understand what's in Trump's tax law. 'Let's just not sit around talking about it – let's really do it. We have to do something really brave here. This is worth saving.' BLOOMBERG
