Excerpt from the Introduction of Common Ground

“We are all connected,” said Jacqueline Thomas as tens of thousands of people crowded together at a freezing climate rally in Washington, DC. Chief and elder of the Saik’uz people, Thomas was flanked by other Indigenous women (called First Nations in Canada). She spoke about an alliance of many First Nations who were resisting a pipeline designed to pump heavy tar sands oil to the western Canadian coast so it could be sold overseas. Those relatives who lived next to the tar sands were already dying of mysterious brain cancers. Thomas pointed out that ranchers and Indigenous people rely on the same water, which could be contaminated by carcinogens if the pipeline spilled. “Enbridge hasreally brought our communities together in Canada,” she said, thanking the pipeline company, which brought laughter from the shivering crowd. “Never in my life have I seen white and Native work together before now.”

The 2013 Forward on Climate rally included many famous environmentalists, but Chief Thomas’s speech was the one that stayed with me. I was inspired by the alliance she described, which ultimately succeeded in stopping the multibillion-dollar pipeline project. I had been hearing other examples of people joining forces across historic differences to protect the water, air, and climate. As an activist and writer, I set out to learn how we could make such collaborations stronger and more common. Over several years, many courageous people from diverse backgrounds shared their wisdom about what works. Through my travels to frontline communities, I also got a clearer view of why such efforts have often failed to prevent new fossil fuel projects. They turned out to be some of the same forces that facilitated Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024.

Having listened to oil and gas leaders complain to each other about taxes and regulations, I wasn’t surprised to learn that they spent at least $75 million to support Trump’s reelection. The amount is many times greater if you count hidden money and contributions from industries deeply entwined with fossil fuels. Special interests have also played a covert role in fostering the mistrust of government that Trump exploited in his campaign. Dating back decades, conservative think tanks—some funded by fossil fuel barons—have spread the falsehood that government unfairly helps people of color. More recently, the attack has been against longstanding civil servants with divisive messages about race used as justification. These claims are fed by the very same racial stereotypes I found were used to dismiss communities of color that fight for clean air and water in their neighborhoods, which even the first Trump administration acknowledged are disproportionately burdened with pollution.

Immediately after his second inauguration, Trump implemented the fossil fuel industry’s agenda even more flagrantly than in his first term. As wildfires raged around Los Angeles in early 2025, Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change, roll back environmental protections, and fire environmental watchdogs. The administration’s denial of climate change was so deep, it planned to cut 84 percent of the staff who help people rebuild after natural disasters, like Hurricane Helene.4 Meanwhile, government agencies were told to remove climate and weather data that farming and fishing communities rely on. The administration announced funding freezes for wind projects, including in Republican districts. Even the military, which recognizes that rising heat and sea levels will impact their operations, had climate initiatives cut.

If the courts, Congress, or the public don’t stop him, Trump’s policies will accelerate the chaos caused by climate change while weakening our resilience to it. Those hit first will be those who live closest to polluting facilities as well as those who live in areas prone to flooding, wildfires, and scorching heat, but ultimately, these policies will hurt everyone. Most Democrats can’t figure out how to make this point without saying “I told you so” to Trump voters, at least some of whom they will need to win over if they ever hope to regain a majority.

Trump came to power and plans to govern through a strategy of divide and conquer. Under the cover of undoing anything related to racial diversity, his administration slashed the jobs of those tasked with protecting America’s most polluted communities, as if the air over those neighborhoods doesn’t spread. He cut a collaboration between Indigenous communities and Earth scientists, as if understanding how to live in balance with the Earth is a special interest. Such divisive tactics are not new, but they are now on full display. Today, we need the wisdom of those who have long navigated the divide and conquer game even more than when I began research for this book.

if there is a silver lining to this colossal storm, it is that Trump is proving—more clearly than grassroots activists have yet managed—the corrupting role of greed in our political system. Like the Canadian pipeline company that Chief Thomas resisted and thanked, Trump could ultimately bring our communities together—if we seize the opportunity. Those who have lived through natural disasters know that storms can have this effect.