
A Democrat’s Guide To Discussing Climate Change
A blueprint for talking climate in the fossil fuel capital of America.
By 2030, scientists expect we will see an extra global annual death toll due to climate change of 250,000 people. That’s on top of the 400,000 deaths per year we’ve known climate change to cause over the last decade.
Climate change is killing people in Texas right now. This isn’t just about science. It’s about justice. It’s about survival.
As Texas Democrats, while some have wholly embraced the need to move our society away from fossil fuels, others have struggled with our state’s long legacy and reliance on oil. My goal with this guide is to provide every Democrat with the moral clarity, emotional language, and political framing necessary to discuss climate change in ways that inspire action, expose Republican obstruction, and resonate with real people.
If you’re new here, hyperlinks lead to sources.
Climate change 101.
One of the Republicans’ core talking points is that there is no evidence that humans cause climate change. Except there is. From:
And many, many more. More greenhouse gases mean that more heat gets trapped in our atmosphere. This causes our oceans to be warmer, our sea ice to melt, and our ocean levels to rise.
And when oceans get warmer, storms get stronger. Hurricanes pull fuel from warm water. So do derechos, the long, violent wind storms that now seem to hit somewhere in Texas every year. Hotter oceans also mean more water vapor in the air, providing more fuel for torrential rain, flash flooding, hail, and blizzards that can hit with little warning.
Meanwhile, the heat doesn’t stay put. It alters wind patterns, disrupts jet streams, and disrupts our seasonal cycles. That’s why we’re seeing brutal heatwaves in the spring, winter fires, and cold snaps that knock out power grids built for a different century.
Dry areas get drier, and the wet regions get drenched. Crops fail. Rivers flood towns one week and run dry the next.
This isn’t abstract. This is what happened during the Smokehouse Creek Fire. During Winter Storm Uri. During the San Antonio flood. During the Kerr County disaster. This is our new normal, unless we choose to make it otherwise.
People in Texas are dying from climate change right now.
Fossil fuels and Texas’ more than fair share.
Fossil fuel air pollution is responsible for approximately 1 in 5 deaths worldwide each year. Research from Harvard University found that more than 8 million people die each year from fossil fuel pollution as a result of breathing in air containing particles from burning fuels like coal, petrol, and diesel, which aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma and can lead to lung cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes, and early death.
The Houston area has some of the worst cancer clusters in the nation. And those cancer clusters lay primarily in Black and brown neighborhoods, killing people of color at higher rates and much quicker than in white Harris County neighborhoods.
In 2021, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that Texas produced 663.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 13.5% of the country’s total. This is more than double the carbon emitted by California, the second-largest producer. Texas’s CO2 levels have increased by almost 85% since 1970 across all sectors, including transportation, homes, and businesses.
Texas emits more CO2 as a state than Saudi Arabia, Canada, Mexico, and many other countries.
The State of Texas is disproportionately responsible for climate change, more than any other state in America and much more than many countries.
Currently, there are still 13 coal plants in operation in Texas. Under new rules announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coal-fired power plants will be required to reduce planet-warming carbon emissions and toxic metal pollution, and handle coal ash waste more safely.
A 2023 study showed that coal power plants contributed to 27,000 ‘excess deaths’ of Texans from 1999-2020.
Oil and gas jobs.
One of the biggest pushbacks we hear when talking about the need to transition to clean energy is, “Oh, but the oil jobs.” Of course, there are many jobs that people in our society once held that no longer exist today. Switchboard operator. Ice cutter. Milkman. The world moved on fine without them. Today, there are already MORE clean energy jobs in Texas than there are fossil fuel jobs.
So, we’re clear, clean energy now employs more Texans than oil and gas.
Last year, Texas Congressman Greg Casar introduced the American Energy Worker Opportunity Act, which aims to protect fossil fuel workers from being left behind in the clean energy transition. This Act would provide fossil fuel workers with a wage replacement or supplement, in addition to assistance to maintain health benefits and contribute to retirement, as well as provide worker education and training, up to and including a four-year degree, create educational grants for the children of dislocated fossil fuel workers, and require agencies to prioritize the hiring of fossil fuel workers into clean energy jobs when disbursing new energy grants.
And while this Act did not pass last year, Casar and other progressives will have another chance at it if Democrats take control of Congress in 2026.
But truth be told, many oil and gas workers already have transferable skills (project management, safety, high-voltage systems, offshore operations) that fit clean-energy jobs (wind, solar, CCS).
Then you have companies like the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, which is trying to pair industry, government, and business leaders to create transition pathways.
But every time we get close to progress, every time there’s a serious plan to help workers, cut pollution, and build something better, Republicans block it. Why?
Because they’d rather protect oil profits than protect human life.
Because they’re more interested in culture wars than job creation. Because the same fossil fuel billionaires who are poisoning our communities are also funding their campaigns.
They’ll lie and say clean energy kills jobs. Meanwhile, they vote against bills that would create jobs. They’ll pretend to care about oil workers, but when it comes time to support wage supplements, retirement protections, or retraining funds, they’re nowhere to be found.
Republicans are the reason Texas remains dependent on a dying industry instead of leading the way forward. Republicans are the reason we’re seeing so many Texans die each year because of climate change.
Democrats are not abandoning anyone. Clean energy wants to invest in people by retraining, supplementing wages, and prioritizing hiring.
Clean energy tax credits aren’t giveaways. They’re job creators. They lower costs for families, enhance the stability of our power grid, and keep Texas competitive. Yet, year after year, you’ll find Republicans itching to axe these credits.
A just transition means that nobody is left behind, and entire communities remain strong and resilient.
That’s the choice in front of us. A future built on clean energy, good jobs, and living communities, or one chained to pollution, sickness, and fear. One path moves forward. The other digs deeper into disaster.
And Republicans? They’ve made it clear which path they’re on.
How do we talk to others about climate change?
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to talk about climate change. If we want people to listen and act, we have to speak to what matters in their daily lives. Climate is personal. So let’s make it personal.
Working-class voters.
When you’re talking to folks working two jobs, raising kids, or living paycheck to paycheck, start there. Talk about jobs. Talk about health. Talk about the cost of their energy bill, not the melting of the ice caps.
Clean energy means good-paying, union-backed, safe jobs. It means lower monthly bills. It means your kid with asthma isn’t in the ER every month because your neighborhood isn’t downwind of a refinery.
Then draw the contrast. While they’re choosing between groceries and electricity, fossil fuel CEOs are pulling in multi-million-dollar bonuses and giving themselves tax breaks. Republicans protect them. Democrats are fighting for you.
Climate skeptics.
This is not about winning an argument. It’s about opening a door.
Don’t start with data or charts. Start with their lived experience.
“Have you noticed how much hotter it’s been?”
“Did your power go out during Uri too?”
“Remember when Kerrville flooded last week? That used to be rare.”
Shift the frame. Instead of asking, “Do you believe in climate change?” ask:
“What kind of future do you want for your grandkids?”
“Shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to make things safer?”
This isn’t about converting people to science. It’s about getting them to care.
Youth and Gen Z.
Be honest with them. Be bold. Speak their urgency.
“You shouldn’t have to fight your own government to survive.”
This generation grew up with wildfires, school lockdowns, and billionaires mocking them on Twitter. They are done being polite.
Don’t pander. Empower. Talk about how young organizers are the reason we’re even having these conversations. Talk about the role they can play in the next election, the next protest, the next policy fight.
Democrats aren’t perfect, but Republicans are actively trying to take their future away.
Latino, Black, and Indigenous Communities.
Start with the truth. These communities are on the front lines of climate disasters. Not by accident, but by design.
Refineries are built in Black neighborhoods. Pipelines run through tribal lands. Latino farmworkers labor in extreme heat without water breaks because Republican lawmakers made it illegal to give them one.
This is environmental racism. This is systemic violence. And it’s killing people.
So, don’t talk about “the environment” as if it’s something separate from people. Talk about asthma rates. Cancer clusters. Flooded homes. The fight to protect sacred land. Talk about survival.
Then discuss solutions, but ensure they’re community-led. That means funding for local resilience projects, tribal sovereignty, public transit, green spaces, and clean water. That means investing in people who have been ignored and exploited for generations.
Because climate justice is racial justice.
What we still need to do.
We’re not done. Not even close. While Republicans want to pretend the climate crisis isn’t real (and worse, profit from it), Democrats need to keep pushing for real solutions. Here’s what’s left on the table:
End fossil fuel subsidies.
Pass a green new deal framework.
Guarantee a just transition for fossil fuel workers.
Strengthen disaster response and climate adaptation.
Protect frontline communities.
Hold corporate polluters accountable.
FAQs and Rebuttals.
Even if people don’t say these out loud, you can bet they’re thinking them. So let’s be ready to answer. And let’s respond in ways that don’t just shut down the argument, but open up a new one.
“Isn’t climate change natural?”
No. What’s happening now is not natural, and it’s not normal. Earth’s climate has undergone significant changes over millions of years. But what we’re seeing today is happening faster and more violently than anything on record. The last time CO₂ levels were this high, humans didn’t exist. And the difference now? Us. Fossil fuels. Industrial agriculture. Deforestation. Global combustion. We’ve known this for decades. NASA, NOAA, and thousands of climate scientists worldwide have confirmed it. But Republicans still lie about it, because the truth threatens their donors.
“What about China?”
What about Texas? What about us? This talking point is nothing but a distraction. It’s designed to make people throw up their hands and do nothing. But here’s the reality:
The US is the biggest historical polluter on Earth.
Per person, we emit more than twice as much carbon as the Chinese population.
And Texas alone emits more CO₂ than most countries.
We cannot control China. But we can control our laws, our energy, our economy, and lead by example. When the US invests in clean energy, it drives down global prices, sparks innovation, and prompts other countries to follow suit. Besides, blaming China while protecting ExxonMobil is hypocrisy at its worst.
“Don’t EVs use rare earths?”
Yes. And so does everything else in your life. Electric vehicles use lithium, cobalt, and other minerals, so do smartphones, laptops, and yes, gas cars too. However, fossil fuels require constant extraction, drilling, spills, pipelines, air pollution, and environmental degradation, including the loss of human life. Every gallon of gas you burn is released into the atmosphere and remains there forever. EVs require an upfront footprint, and then they run clean. No tailpipe. No refinery stench in your backyard. And no billions handed over to oil dictatorships. Do we need to clean up EV supply chains? Absolutely. But let’s not pretend oil is innocent. Oil companies spill, burn, and kill every day, with no end in sight.
“Aren’t we already doing enough?”
If “enough” means millions dead, crops failing, and Texans drowning in their own homes, then sure. But no. We are not doing enough. Not even close. The Inflation Reduction Act was a big win. Clean energy is expanding fast. But emissions are still rising. Heat records are still being broken. And frontline communities are still breathing poison. We need a World War II-level response to a crisis that’s killing people now and not tinkering around the edges. We need bold investment, public planning, labor-centered policy, and corporate accountability. Democrats have made progress. Republicans are trying to erase it.
“What about the grid?”
What about it? Republicans are the ones breaking it. Texas has its electric grid, separate from the rest of the country, because Republicans didn’t want federal oversight. Then they let oil executives run it like a casino. That’s why it collapsed in Winter Storm Uri. That’s why it almost failed again last summer. Renewables didn’t cause the crisis. Deregulation did. Greed did. And it was fossil fuels that froze first in 2021; natural gas plants, coal piles, and pipelines failed. Clean energy makes the grid more resilient, not less. Solar and wind kept us running when gas plants went down. Battery storage, distributed generation, and grid modernization are part of the solution. Republicans want to keep pretending fossil fuels are reliable, even when Texans are dying in the dark. So no, don’t blame the grid on climate solutions. Blame it on the people who continue to vote against fixing it.
Organize and action.
We don’t win by waiting. We win by organizing.
And while national policy matters, the truth is that most of the climate fight happens locally. That’s where fossil fuel interests sneak in pipelines, gut regulations, and silence opposition. It’s also where people have the most power.
Start with what’s close to home.
If your city council is voting on a rezoning deal that allows more oil storage near a school, show up.
If your school board is banning climate science from textbooks, run for the board.
If your county is considering flood infrastructure or solar investment, mobilize.
Don’t let anyone tell you these fights are too small. That’s where power builds. Every victory adds up.
You can’t win this alone, and you shouldn’t try.
Partner with:
Labor unions fighting for good-paying, clean energy jobs
Environmental justice groups protecting frontline communities
Youth organizers who have the moral clarity and energy to lead
Faith leaders, teachers, nurses, artists, elders, and anyone willing to fight for a livable future
When we show up together, we win bigger and faster.
We don’t need more Democrats who whisper about climate in backrooms. We need leaders who will say the word fossil fuels on the House floor and vote like the planet depends on it, because it does.
Call them. Meet with them. Show up at their town halls. Let them know that the safest option is not playing it safe, it’s fighting like hell for the people they represent.
Texans are dying from climate change right now.
This is the cycle.
We protest to raise the stakes.
We vote to shift the power.
We legislate to make change real.
Then we do it again.
That’s how we move from climate grief to climate action.
That’s how we win.
November 4: Constitutional/TX18/SD09 Election
Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.
LoneStarLeft is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Follow me on Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Instagram.
Reading this felt like watching Joan of Arc light a match in a refinery and dare the billionaires to blink.
Michelle, this isn’t just a guide—it’s a sermon wrapped in statistics and soaked in righteous grief. You name the rot and the remedy, and you do it without flinching. That line—“Texas emits more CO₂ as a state than Saudi Arabia”—should be tattooed on every ballot envelope in Harris County.
Thank you for refusing to whisper when the house is burning. Thank you for making justice feel like common sense again.
You didn’t just write a Democrat’s guide—you gave us a damn torch.
Hi Michelle, I did some research on why republicans keep pushing fossil fuels and vilify green energy. What I found out is that the same oil companies are actually investing in green energy technologies. They want the profits. https://open.substack.com/pub/riograndecurrent/p/the-truth-about-texas-energy-and?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=30d68n&utm_medium=ios