1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I need you to champion structural democracy reforms as the pathway to meaningful climate legislation. The fossil fuel industry has made a calculated decision to fund authoritarianism because they know they lose under democracy. The numbers prove Americans want climate action. Sixty-five percent support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, 72% support transitioning to clean energy, and majorities back Green New Deal-style investments. In a functional democracy, this overwhelming public support would translate to policy. Instead, corporate capture blocks the will of the people at every turn. Fossil fuel donations to Trump's 2024 campaign reached record levels, with executives receiving policy favors in exchange for million-dollar contributions. Oil executives now staff his administration at unprecedented rates. This is fossil-fueled fascism, and it's why local climate wins can't outpace federal rollbacks that dismantle emission standards, open protected lands to drilling, and eliminate renewable energy incentives. We need proportional representation and public financing of elections to make oil industry capture impossible. Democracy reform isn't separate from climate policy. It's the precondition for it. Fight for the structural changes that will finally let the people's voice be heard on climate.