Environmental leaders from the western U.S. gathered in metro Phoenix to discuss “confronting the climate crisis in the Trump Era” during the Society of Environmental Journalists conference.
In partnership with Arizona State University, the journalism group celebrated its 35th anniversary of bringing together journalists, scientists, governmental officials and others in Tempe, Arizona, near the university’s campus.
The 2025 gathering explored environmental issues across the Southwest, including water scarcity, extreme heat, and other issues that resonate globally.
The discussion about the intersection of the climate crisis and the second Trump administration, including the rollback of Biden-era climate policies and how state and local governments can continue to fight climate change, opened the third day of the conference.
Here are some key takeaways from the conversation, moderated by Sammy Roth, the climate columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
Use of the word ‘climate’ in public policy realms comes and goes, natural resource expert says
A Biden-era principal deputy director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reflected on her experience with the dynamic nature of the word “climate” in public conversation.
Nada Wolff Culver said the word itself rises and falls in prominence, but real change stems from the concrete action by journalists, lawyers and policy advocates.
“Usually, the word is not always the big difference but the action that happens, the reporting, the lawsuit, the advocacy,” Culver said. “This is what makes the change on the ground.”
Energy affordability could fuel positive environmental impacts, adovcate says
Anne Hedges, the executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, described herself as an optimist and said she saw a potential silver lining in President Donald Trump’s energy policies.
Hedges said she anticipated a moment of realization when Trump’s promised fossil fuel boom fails to materialize because of market forces. The shift to renewable energy is already in motion, she said, and argued that the desire for affordability will spur a pushback against high non-renewable energy costs.
“They are saying we are going to dig, we’re going to burn, and we are going to use it all,” she said. “He is giving a false sense of hope to a lot of people out there.”
Grassroots groups can drive environmental change, politican says
California Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat who represents southeast Los Angeles as well as Long Beach and other Southern California communities, said environmental justice issues resonate with people in her district.
When it comes to working with larger climate organizations, there has been a positive shift in the dynamics, she said.
Big groups have taken a step back and allowed frontline environmental justice advocates to take the lead, Gonzalez said. She said this collaborative approach has proved to be powerful in advancing legislation, including Senate Bill 1137, which established buffer zones between community areas and fossil fuel operations.
“In terms of lobbying with climate folks, sometimes the larger climate groups really take a step back and allow environmental folks to really push and be front and center,” Gonzalez said.
Journalists should connect natural disasters to climate change, professor says
Emily Fischer, an atmospheric science professor at Colorado State University, said even though it is a “scary” time to be a scientist, the science itself stays the same. The reality of climate change and its impact on the ground are undeniable and will not disappear, Fischer said.
She encouraged journalists covering environmental issues in 2025 to focus on the human impact of climate change, ensuring that the connections between disasters and broader climate patterns are made apparent. Many people fail to connect natural disasters to climate change, she said, and that knowledge gap can be a way for journalists and educators to get their foot in the door on educating the public about climate change.
“After a natural disaster, the information on climate change is twice as likely to be received, without a backlash,” Fischer said.
McKenna Manzo is a senior at the University of Arizona and is part of a student newsroom led by The Arizona Republic.
Coverage of the Society of Environmental Journalists conference is supported by Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism, the University of Arizona and the Arizona Media Association.
These stories are published open-source for other news outlets and organizations to share and republish, with credit and links to azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 4 things experts said about confronting climate crisis in Trump era