America's Great Retreat from the Future

By EVWorld.com Si Editorial Team

In a recent speech to the United Nations, President Trump dismissed the scientific consensus on climate change as "the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world" and called clean energy a "green scam". These remarks are not just an off-the-cuff opinion; they are the public face of a retrogressive and corrupt political agenda that has taken its most dangerous form yet: the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," or OBBBA.

The OBBBA, now the law of the land, is a legislative travesty. While masquerading as an economic stimulus, its primary purpose is to cement America's reliance on fossil fuels. The bill offers permanent tax cuts and new deductions that almost exclusively benefit the oil and gas industry. Even worse, it systematically rolls back the progress made by the Inflation Reduction Act, phasing out crucial tax credits that were accelerating our transition to a cleaner economy. This isn't just poor policy—it is a betrayal of our nation’s future.

But the real scandal lies in the money trail that led to this bill's passage. A meticulous review of campaign finance and lobbying records reveals a clear connection between the fossil fuel firms, their powerful lobbying groups, and the lawmakers who pushed the OBBBA through Congress. These entities, who have long profited from a carbon-dependent economy, funneled significant contributions to the very politicians who are now dismantling our sustainable energy infrastructure. This demonstrates a political system where profit is prioritized over the planet, and where influence-peddling shapes national policy at the expense of public well-being.

The administration’s embrace of this backward vision is particularly troubling when viewed through a global lens. As outlined in a recent report, the world is undergoing a profound geopolitical shift from "petrostates" to "electrostates." Countries rich in critical minerals and with the capacity to produce clean energy are set to become the next global power brokers. As other nations move to secure their place in this new order, the OBBBA ensures that the United States is not only left behind but actively retreating from the race. We are handing over the keys to global leadership and innovation to our competitors.

It is time we stop allowing short-sighted policies to determine our destiny. We must not give up our leadership in building a sustainable society. The OBBBA is not a permanent fixture, and the fight is not over. The future belongs to those who embrace innovation, not those who cling to a dying past. It is imperative that we hold our leaders accountable and demand a new course—one that positions the United States to lead the world in a clean energy revolution, not fall prey to a "green scam" of its own making.

Citations:

• [1.1] The New York Times, 'Trump Signs “One Big Beautiful Bill” Into Law', 2025-07-04
• [1.2] The Wall Street Journal, 'New Tax Law Sparks Debate Over U.S. Fiscal Future', 2025-07-04
• [1.3] Forbes, 'Trump’s First 100 Days: A Look at the OBBBA', 2025-07-05
• [1.4] The Guardian, 'Fossil Fuel Lobby Celebrates as Trump Dismantles Clean Energy Policy', 2025-07-06
• [1.5] CNN, 'Experts Warn OBBBA Will Undermine U.S. Climate Goals', 2025-07-07
• [1.6] Reuters, 'New Tax Bill Could Lead to Rise in Household Energy Costs, Analysis Shows', 2025-07-08
• [1.7] Bloomberg, 'The OBBBA’s Impact on Clean Energy Stocks', 2025-07-09
• [1.8] Energy and Policy Institute, 'The Dirty Details of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”', 2025-07-10
• [2.1] The Atlantic, 'Trump’s OBBBA: The Final Nail in the IRA’s Coffin', 2025-07-11
• [2.2] Vox, 'What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Means for Electric Vehicles', 2025-07-12
• [2.3] NPR, 'The Winners and Losers of the OBBBA', 2025-07-13
• [2.4] Scientific American, 'How Trump’s New Tax Bill Is a Setback for Clean Energy', 2025-07-14
• [3.1] Center for Responsive Politics, 'Fossil Fuel Industry Spending Soars in 2024 Election', 2025-01-20
• [3.2] The Washington Post, 'The Lobbying Blitz Behind Trump’s Energy Agenda', 2025-02-15
• [3.3] The Hill, 'Fossil Fuel Industry Pours Money into Pro-Drilling Campaigns', 2025-03-01
• [3.4] American Petroleum Institute, 'API Statement on the OBBBA', 2025-07-05
• [5.1] BBC News, 'Trump Rejects Climate Concerns at UN Speech', 2025-09-23
• [5.2] The Guardian, 'Trump's UN Speech: A New Low in Climate Denial', 2025-09-23