ATLANTA, GEORGIA – In the weeks since he took office, President Trump has waged an all-out assault on crucial federal programs designed to protect public health, safeguard our environment, and spur a clean energy revolution. Climate leaders – including elected officials and top experts – came together in Atlanta today to urge lawmakers to reject the Trump administration’s efforts that are endangering the health and safety of the American public.
At today’s rally at Liberty Plaza in downtown Atlanta, Daniel Blackman, a former top official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, joined Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia’s Fourth District, Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman, Cristal Valdez of PoderLatinx GA, Brionté McCorkle of Georgia Conservation Voters, and Dr. Reginald Parker, president of Freedmen Green Bank, to call attention to the Trump administration’s blatant attacks on climate, environmental justice, and the clean energy economy. Bold action is needed now more than ever, they argued, in the face of the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Leaders at the rally also unveiled a 20×30-foot flag of the climate stripes, a powerful visual representation of the rising temperatures from 1850 to the present.
“The Trump administration is launching an all-out assault on environmental justice, civil rights, and the EPA itself—placing staff on leave, shutting down critical programs, and rolling back protections that safeguard our air, water, and climate,” said Daniel Blackman, who served as Region IV Southeast Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the Biden-Harris administration. “These reckless actions will devastate frontline communities, kill clean energy jobs, and put millions at risk, especially in states like Georgia that have benefited from historic federal investments. This isn’t about efficiency—it’s about erasing progress and silencing those fighting for a healthier, more just future. We cannot afford to go backward.”
“The climate crisis worsens by the day yet the current administration is shoving their heads deeper in the sand as our coastal communities drown, farmers lose entire crops, and people are displaced by raging fires all so a few rich billionaires can get richer. These deadly policies must end,” State Rep. Ruwa Romman said.
“These attacks on environmental justice and clean energy are just another example of those in power, who do not have the best interest at heart and wish to appease corporate polluters,” said Cristal Valdez, an Environmental Justice Community Organizer from PoderLatinx GA. “We know that communities of color will be disproportionately impacted by the erosion of environmental protections. We must collectively stand up and speak out against the unjust actions taken by our government and those who have greed in their hearts. We will continue to fight for our communities and the future generations by advocating with community organizations and calling on our lawmakers to defend our climate.”
Brionté McCorkle, Executive Director of Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund, stated, “This administration and its allies in the state and at the Public Service Commission are moving forward with a plan that will pollute our air and water and destroy the health of our children, families, and communities. A future with clean air, clean water, and affordable power is possible. The people of Georgia deserve leaders who will fight for our well-being. We will not allow our climate to be destroyed, our health to be compromised, and historic economic investments to be dismantled to pad the pockets of corporate polluters.”
“The Freedmen Green Bank feels that President Trump’s executive orders, which dismantle environmental justice programs, will harm Georgia,” said Dr. Reginald Parker, president of Freedmen Green Bank. “These actions threaten Georgians’ health, slow economic growth, and increase energy burdens — especially for vulnerable communities. Weakening clean energy investments makes Georgia less resilient to weather-related disasters and limits opportunities for historically underserved communities. A strong Georgia requires forward-thinking energy solutions, not setbacks.”
Photos from the event will be made available in this folder.
About CAC
Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is a vibrant coalition of advocacy organizations working together to drive ambitious, durable federal action to cut carbon pollution, address the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and accelerate the transition to clean energy. Our goal is to reduce carbon pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy through policies focused on climate, justice, and jobs and expanding opportunity for all.
