The irony of the energy crisis
It sounds like a total fever dream, but some are calling Donald Trump the biggest "gift" to the climate movement right now. It's giving major plot twist energy. California Governor Gavin Newsom shared this spicy take during Climate Week, arguing that the US-Iran war has effectively shattered the idea that relying on fossil fuels is 'secure.' Because of the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz—a massive artery for global oil—has been super unstable, and gas prices have gone absolutely chaotic.
The shift to green energy
Real talk: when oil is expensive and unreliable, countries get real motivated to find other options. We’re seeing a global scramble to ramp up wind and solar energy. Carbon Brief estimates this shift could actually drop global fossil fuel emissions by 0.5% this year. The International Energy Agency even thinks we might hit peak oil consumption in 2026 instead of 2029. It’s wild because this kind of drop usually only happens during massive global catastrophes like the pandemic.
Is it actually a win?
Not everyone is buying the 'environmentalist' label for Trump. Climate scientist Rob Jackson called the idea 'wishful thinking,' pointing out that Trump has consistently gutted green tech funding within the U.S. and rolled back major pollution protections. Plus, Big Oil is still making bank—eight major companies pocketed $90bn in the first three months of the war alone.
Even with the volatility, the world is leaning into renewables because the tech is finally cheaper and more accessible. In places like Africa, people are skipping traditional upgrades for solar panels, and in the U.S., wind and solar investment is booming.
Why it matters
The Iran conflict proved that sticking with fossil fuels is a massive risk. Whether this momentum holds once the conflict cools down is the real question, but the transition to clean energy seems to have reached a point of no return. As the saying goes, the sun doesn't shine on an autocrat's land—it shines everywhere.
