From Watts Up With That?

By Charles Rotter

As COP29 wrapped up in Baku, it left behind a trail of broken promises, hollow platitudes, and a $300 billion-per-year climate finance pledge that’s already being treated like Monopoly money. For the attendees, this summit was supposed to be a turning point—a global kumbaya to double down on the Paris Agreement and guilt developed nations into more climate cash giveaways. Instead, they woke up to a rude reality: President Donald J. Trump is back, and he’s armed with a cabinet determined to shred the green bureaucratic utopia faster than Greta Thunberg can say, “How dare you?”

The $300 billion package to “help” developing nations has been hailed as a win—if you define a win as forcing Western taxpayers to underwrite wind farms in nations where electricity is still considered a luxury. Naturally, the recipients aren’t satisfied. They’re already calling it “woefully insufficient,” which roughly translates to, “Nice start—now double it, and maybe we’ll stop complaining.”

But the real story isn’t the faux climate unity in Baku; it’s the cataclysmic shift coming out of Washington, D.C. With Trump’s return, the U.S. is poised to leave the Paris Agreement (again), freeze out the global climate aristocracy, and make American energy great again.

The Paris Agreement: RIP (Again)

The Paris Agreement has always been an expensive farce, a symbolic gesture masquerading as a global solution. Its main purpose? To transfer wealth from productive nations to the politically corrupt under the guise of “climate justice.” Of course, China—the world’s largest emitter—sits pretty with vague promises and no actual obligations. Trump’s exit from this scam is as much common sense as it is a necessity.

Trump and his new team understand what the COP29 crowd can’t admit: The Paris Agreement was designed to shackle the U.S. economy while letting the real polluters off the hook. It’s nothing more than a glorified wealth redistribution scheme, and the American taxpayer is the mark.

Meet Trump’s Cabinet of Climate Wreckers

If COP29 delegates are sipping antacids with their organic, fair-trade coffee this morning, it’s because Trump’s cabinet picks read like a climate alarmist’s worst nightmare.

Doug Burgum: Secretary of the Interior

Burgum’s move to Interior promises a full-throttle return to energy dominance. Forget Biden’s endless federal land drilling moratoriums—Burgum is unlocking American resources faster than climate activists can chain themselves to a bulldozer. The Department of the Interior will no longer be a playground for environmental lawyers; it will become what it was always meant to be—a steward of American land for energy, jobs, and growth.

His first move? Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, where billions of barrels of oil lie under pristine tundra that activists think is too good for human use. Burgum isn’t here to hug trees—he’s here to power the nation.

Lee Zeldin: EPA Administrator

Trump’s pick of Zeldin to head the EPA is genius. A staunch critic of the administrative state, Zeldin knows that the EPA has been hijacked by ideologues who care more about regulating cow flatulence than addressing real environmental issues. Expect Zeldin to gut the EPA’s endless red tape, dismantle Biden’s climate executive orders, and end the absurd “waters of the United States” rule that treats mud puddles like the Mississippi River.

Zeldin isn’t here to make friends with European technocrats; he’s here to dismantle their favorite tool of economic sabotage. If COP30 delegates want to weep into their carbon-neutral cocktails, so be it. Zeldin has one message for them: “Regulate your own economy.”

Chris Wright: Fossil Fuels’ Fierce Defender

Chris Wright’s appointment as Secretary of Energy is a seismic shift in U.S. energy policy. An unapologetic champion of oil, gas, and nuclear power, Wright knows that the foundation of modern civilization isn’t powered by wishful thinking. Forget solar panels that sputter at night or wind turbines that freeze in the cold—Wright’s focus is on what works: affordable, reliable energy that powers America’s industries and homes.

His first order of business will be dismantling the subsidy gravy train for inefficient renewables, forcing wind and solar to compete on merit rather than handouts. Wright has made it clear: energy policy shouldn’t bankrupt Americans to chase unproven green dreams. Instead, he’ll double down on expanding domestic fossil fuel production, slashing regulations, and reviving nuclear energy to ensure a stable grid and energy independence.

Globally, Wright’s leadership signals that the U.S. is back in the energy game. LNG exports will surge, allies will be strengthened, and adversaries reliant on oil and gas leverage will lose their power. As the climate elite lament his appointment, Wright will be too busy making energy affordable, accessible, and undeniably American.

Ramifications: A Climate Cold War

The global climate aristocracy is in full meltdown mode. Trump’s America First resurgence will embolden other nations to reassess their commitments to the Paris Agreement. Why should Europe foot the bill for global decarbonization if the U.S. isn’t playing along? China and India, of course, will continue building coal plants while pretending to care. The entire climate house of cards is about to collapse under its own contradictions.

Domestically, Americans will see an energy renaissance. Expect gas prices to plummet as drilling returns to full force. The war on natural gas? Over. The assault on coal? Done. Nuclear power? Back in the game. The result: jobs, growth, and cheaper energy for everyday Americans. Meanwhile, climate elites will find themselves increasingly ignored.

COP29: A Comedy of Errors

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the absurdity of COP29 itself. Delegates from 196 nations spent two weeks lecturing the world on carbon footprints while chartering private jets, dining on caviar, and pushing “solutions” that enrich themselves at everyone else’s expense. They even celebrated a global carbon credit market that’s destined to become the Enron of environmentalism.

And then, just as they were finalizing their grandiose agreements, Trump announced his cabinet picks. It’s almost poetic. The timing couldn’t have been better if it were scripted by a Hollywood screenwriter. While COP29 patted itself on the back, Trump’s America signaled that it has no intention of playing along.

The Final Word

The COP29 agreements will go down as another entry in the annals of climate grift history—a collection of empty promises and unenforceable pledges. Trump’s return, coupled with his America First cabinet, ensures that the U.S. will focus on real priorities: energy independence, economic growth, and putting Americans first.

For the climate elite, COP29 wasn’t just a failure; it was a funeral. The Paris Agreement is dead. The global climate agenda is on life support. And America? It’s roaring back to life. Sorry, Greta. Sorry, Baku. The adults are back in charge.