As summer comes to an end and the presidential election season picks up steam, Vice President Kamala Harris has made the defense of vital freedoms a central theme of her campaign.

The Democratic nominee has stressed that American democracy, a woman’s right to choose, and the freedoms to love whom you wish and live free from gun violence are all crucial issues on the November ballot.

In her convention address, Harris boldly emphasized the importance of safeguarding another critical freedom: our right to “live free from the pollution that drives the climate crisis.”

For Harris, climate change transcends mere environmental concerns. It poses a significant threat to the essential freedoms that define our existence, a challenge we must face collectively as a nation.

And she is absolutely correct.

Freedom hinges on a healthy environment

For many, freedom means the ability to pursue personal values and aspirations, while allowing others the same liberty. However, the climate emergency threatens our most fundamental freedoms—such as the ability to create a life, maintain a family, and provide our children with a sustainable future.

Farmers and ranchers find it difficult to exercise their freedoms when they’re faced with extreme heat and severe drought that jeopardizes their labor and transforms once-fertile lands into desolate areas; preserving a coastal lifestyle becomes nearly impossible amid rising sea levels and increasingly powerful hurricanes; and safeguarding home ownership is a challenge as climate change drives property insurance costs through the roof, if insurance is even obtainable.

These aren’t distant threats or occasional inconveniences. They affect our everyday existence across the nation. With such obstacles, how can anyone hope to achieve financial stability?

Since May, every person in the United States has been warned about dangerous heat waves, wildfires, floods, or storms.

Last year, climate-related disasters claimed nearly 500 lives and resulted in damages amounting to $95 billion, a burden that threatens to overwhelm our national response capabilities.

If this ongoing and escalating devastation doesn’t pose a threat to the freedoms that support our lifestyle, I’m not sure what does.

Kamala Harris takes climate change seriously as a threat to Americans

This country has a legacy of confronting threats to our freedoms openly, rather than ignoring them until it’s too late.

To tackle this issue correctly requires strong leadership. Harris has been a formidable opponent of Big Oil and polluters for over twenty years.

I worked in California’s oil fields during my younger years, and I witnessed the industry’s influence on the state. Yet that never deterred Harris from fulfilling her responsibilities.

As California’s attorney general, she secured a $24.5 million settlement from Chevron and a $14 million settlement from BP for hazardous waste leaks from gasoline storage tanks.

Harris advocated for communities suffering from refinery pollution and investigated the oil industry’s repeated misrepresentations about the climate crisis, leading to significant support for a state lawsuit against the industry for damages.

During her tenure as vice president, she played a crucial role in enacting the most ambitious climate action in history, casting the tie-breaking vote that enabled the Senate to pass clean energy incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Moreover, she has been key in establishing new regulations to significantly reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector, as well as from vehicles and power plants.

Now, the clean energy sector is thriving, and we anticipate reducing climate pollution by up to 56% compared to 2005 levels by 2035.

By identifying the climate emergency as a threat to American liberties, Harris has demonstrated her readiness to leverage these advancements and advocate for further climate initiatives from day one as president.

Donald Trump would hinder climate action efforts

In contrast, her opponent, Donald Trump, dismisses those who recognize the climate threat as “fools.” During his presidency, he withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement and reversed emissions restrictions, leading to the most significant governmental assault on our environment and public health ever.

Trump has claimed that, if re-elected, he would worsen his stance by prioritizing wealthy oil and gas contributors and big polluters over the climate agenda, following the MAGA movement’s Project 2025.

This plan proposes dismantling the federal civil service and replacing numerous experienced professionals with individuals loyal to Trump, politicizing scientific findings, and undermining or abolishing the climate and clean energy policies that Harris has championed.

Honestly, I’ve yet to hear anyone advocating for weakening our government or dismissing science while halting climate action. The only voices supporting such actions are Trump and his affluent allies, who seem eager to return to a system that benefits corporate elites, putting future generations at risk.

No, thank you.

In his famous artwork series “Four Freedoms,” artist Norman Rockwell captured grand concepts through the lens of everyday Americans, illustrating how freedom of speech and religion, alongside freedom from need and fear, manifest in our lives.

It’s thought-provoking to envision how Rockwell would portray the looming climate crises that threaten our homes, underlining a real danger to our freedoms.

Kamala Harris has pinpointed this threat and has spearheaded significant climate initiatives. She is poised to continue promoting these efforts from day one if elected president. She represents the leadership necessary to tackle the profound challenges posed by climate change and to protect us from its dangers.

Robert Redford is an actor, director, and environmental advocate.