Every April, the world pauses to mark Earth Day — an occasion that once invited reflection on tangible environmental concerns, like cleaning polluted rivers, planting trees, and securing clean air for urban populations.

But like so much of the modern environmental movement, Earth Day has been co-opted by a doomsday cult masquerading as science. What began as a reasonable appeal for local stewardship has transformed into an international campaign of fearmongering about earth’s complex climate system.

As someone who cherishes the environment and believes in responsible stewardship of our planet, I find the current culture of climate alarmism deeply troubling. The climate movement, now resembling a secular religion, has elevated carbon dioxide—a molecule essential to life—to the status of a demonic force. Its altar is sacred, its rituals unquestionable, and its dissenters branded as heretics.

Dare to call the world a happy place online, and the climate doomsayers will descend, shrieking about climate apocalypse. Worse, they’ll smear you as a far-right zealot. Such is the madness of a pseudo-political group swallowed whole by the relentless, multi-front propaganda machine of the climate cult.

Its adherents speak in absolutes, wielding terms like “settled science” to silence debate, much like medieval clerics invoked divine authority. Questioning the apocalyptic predictions—rising seas swallowing cities, mass extinctions, or unending heatwaves—earns one the label of “denier,” a term dripping with moral condemnation. This is not science; it is dogma.

For instance, global temperature records show a natural warming trend since the late 18th century, but the rate and impact are not catastrophic. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) itself acknowledges that extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts, have not increased in frequency or intensity in a manner consistent with alarmist projections.

Yet, the climate movement’s grip on global governance is ironclad. From international agreements like the Paris Accord to national policies mandating net-zero emissions, every facet of economic and social life is increasingly subordinated to the altar of climate.

What is lost in this relentless drumbeat of doom is an honest engagement with the actual state of the environment. Take for example the improvements in air quality in cities like Los Angeles and London since the 1970s. Or the success stories of species reintroduction and habitat restoration.

They deny the reality that global weather-related deaths have plummeted by 99% over the past century, even as carbon emissions rose.

They deny the fact that modern economies, powered by hydrocarbons like oil, gas and coal, have enabled life expectancies to double and child mortality rates to fall dramatically. They deny the obvious — that a warmer, CO₂-enriched world is greener, not browner. The cold truth is that climate movement isn’t interested in nuance or complexity; it demands obedience to a simplistic, carbon-centric worldview.

President Trump is freeing the U.S. from this madness, but many nations around the world are still under the control of this dogma. In countries here air pollution from biomass burning and inadequate infrastructure is a daily killer, resources are diverted to comply with international climate mandates.

Instead of investing in clean water systems or modern energy grids, governments are pressured to prioritize wind turbines and solar panels—technologies that cannot meet the immediate needs of growing populations. The obsession with climate has created a hierarchy of environmental concerns, with carbon reduction at the apex and human well-being at the bottom.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the disconnect between climate alarmism and reality more than the Earth Day tradition of “switching off lights.” This Western ritual, celebrated as a nod to energy conservation, is a hollow gesture that ignores the lived experiences of millions. In parts of Africa and Asia, power blackouts are not a symbolic act but a daily reality.

The argument that fossil fuels must be abandoned to avert climate catastrophe ignores both science and morality. Coal, gas, and oil remain the most reliable and affordable energy sources for rapidly developing economies. Their use has lifted billions out of poverty in countries like China and India, where access to electricity has transformed lives.

To restore Earth Day to its original mission, we must reject the hegemony of climate alarmism and refocus on tangible, measurable challenges. True environmentalism is pragmatic, not prophetic. It prioritizes clean air, safe water, and abundant energy—foundations of human dignity. Humanity is not a plague on Earth but its greatest steward. Our ingenuity has cured diseases, doubled lifespans, and connected continents. To solve environmental challenges, we need optimism, not fear; innovation, not austerity; and freedom, not an anti-human dogma. The Earth deserves better than performative darkness and doomsaying. It deserves light—both literal and intellectual.

This column was first published by the CO2 Coalition and is reprinted here by permission.

Photo by sheri silver on Unsplash.