Essay by Eric Worrall
Are greens market testing a pivot from climate activism to anti-AI activism?
Climate advocates outraged at Trump administration plans to fast-track AI sector
Scheme rolled out Wednesday reveals intent to dismantle some environmental and land-use regulations
Dharna Noor Thu 24 Jul 2025 06.27 AEST
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“We need to build and maintain vast AI infrastructure and the energy to power it. To do that, we will continue to reject radical climate dogma and bureaucratic red tape, as the Administration has done since Inauguration Day,” the plan says. “Simply put, we need to ‘Build, Baby, Build!’”
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“At its core, President Trump’s AI agenda is nothing more than a thinly veiled invitation for the fossil fuel and corporate water industries to ramp up their exploitation of our environment and natural resources – all at the expense of everyday people,” said Mitch Jones, a managing director Food and Water Watch, an environmental advocacy group.
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“Under this plan, tech giants get sweetheart deals while everyday Americans will see their electricity bills rise to subsidize discounted power for massive AI datacenters,” said JB Branch, a big-tech accountability advocate with the consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. “States are held hostage: either stop protecting their residents from dangerous, untested AI products, or lose federal funding.”
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“We can’t let big tech and big oil lobbyists write the rules for AI and our economy at the expense of our freedom and equality, workers and families’ wellbeing,” the coalition wrote.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/23/trump-ai-climate-change
As the public support base for climate action narrows, greens have long been searching for a replacement for the climate crisis which could re-engage groups which outright reject their climate crisis claims. From 2016;
I predicted in 2017 that AI would be the winning replacement ticket. It was already obvious by then that the political right in key nations was less than enthusiastic about the climate crisis narrative. The threat to greens of permanently losing a large chunk of their audience was obvious.
What I didn’t predict in 2017 was the enormous energy footprint of AI and the AI jobs crisis would be the trigger which convinces climate activists to experiment with anti-AI activism. I thought the trigger would be fear of malevolent AI. I knew the energy demand of AI would be large, but Microsoft rehabilitating Three Mile Island nuclear plant just so they can power their AI is next level.
It is difficult to remember now, but 25 years ago the greens enjoyed bipartisan support. The greens lost bipartisan appeal when Lord Monckton convinced mainstream Republicans the climate crisis is pseudoscience.
Ever since greens have been searching for a way to reach people who are no longer convinced by their climate messaging.
The threat of millions of jobs being automated by AI dangles the possibility of resurrecting broad based political support for the green movement. If greens succeed in amplifying public fear of AI job losses, they could split the Republican base. The climate crisis component of green messaging might leave unbelievers unmoved, but you don’t have to be a Democrat to fear losing your job to AI automation.
Add to this mix the green left’s visceral hatred for President Trump, the fact President Trump is a major advocate of AI, and the fact AI campuses really do cause significant problems for communities when the supporting infrastructure is inadequate, and all the ingredients for a major green pivot to anti-AI activism appear to be in place.
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