Senator Whitehouse Won't Be Silenced on Climate: Thank Him.

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has done something too many politicians refuse to do: tell the truth about the climate crisis.

While others have moved on or gone quiet, Senator Whitehouse has spent more than a decade returning to the Senate floor to sound the alarm about the climate crisis through his "Time to Wake Up" speeches.

Now, as climate-fueled disasters grow more severe and fossil fuel pollution continues to overheat our planet, a dangerous new trend is taking hold in politics and the media: "climate hushing" — the idea that leaders should talk less about climate change because it might be politically inconvenient.

As climate hushing gains ground, Senator Whitehouse continues to speak out. We should stand with him—and speak out, too.

The science of climate change hasn't become less urgent. The floods, fires, heat waves, and storms haven't disappeared. What has changed is that some political strategists and powerful interests increasingly want climate change pushed to the sidelines of public debate in favor of “affordability” or other focus group tested language.

Senator Whitehouse has spent years exposing the fossil fuel industry's campaigns of denial, deception, and delay. He has repeatedly warned about the influence of fossil fuel money in politics and the dangers of allowing polluters to shape public understanding of the climate crisis.

He's right.

When politicians stop talking about climate change, the fossil fuel industry wins. When the media downplays the crisis, polluters win. And when elected officials decide climate action is too risky to discuss, our communities pay the price.

Senator Whitehouse’s persistence matters. His courage matters. His refusal to let the climate crisis fade from public view matters. After more than 300 "Time to Wake Up" speeches, he is still urging Americans to confront the reality of a warming planet and the forces standing in the way of meaningful action.

Add your name today to stand with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and demand that our leaders in Congress and in our cities and states speak honestly about the climate crisis — not hide from it.

We cannot solve a problem we refuse to talk about.

The climate crisis is here. The time for silence is over. The time to wake up is now.

The petition to Senator Whitehouse reads: Senator Whitehouse: Thank you for refusing to stay silent about the climate crisis. Thank you for exposing the fossil fuel industry's decades-long campaign of denial and delay. As climate hushing spreads through our politics and media, we urge you to keep speaking out, keep holding polluters accountable, and keep demanding the bold climate action this moment requires. We stand with you in this fight to save the planet and our futures.

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Source:

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/senator-sheldon-whitehouse-climate-change-hushing-time-wake-up/