President Trump had been back in office only a few weeks last year when Paul Scott decided he had heard enough. He heard the president’s cry to “drill baby drill” for more petroleum, watched big oil interests dump massive financial support behind the Republican and heard him bad-mouthing electric vehicles.
Scott had dedicated much of the last 20 years of his life to supporting exactly the opposite positions. Before retiring, Scott, yes, sold electric vehicles. The solar-power-loving, EV-driving Santa Monica man decided he had to do something to fight back. So he made a placard and walked a couple of blocks and began a one-man protest against Trump and the petroleum industry.
Clark has been on that corner — at 4th Street and Pico Boulevard — virtually every day since then, a full year “on the job.” He waves, twirls and thrusts a giant sign that reads: “BUYING GAS SUPPORTS TRUMP, KILLS THE PLANET.” On the flip side another set of giant red letters demand: “BUY ELECTRIC.”
The 73-year-old retiree can’t think of a more pressing issue confronting the nation and the planet. He embraces the science that has concluded that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have dangerously warmed the Earth, leading to increased droughts, wildfires and other extreme conditions. That’s beyond the health impacts of exhaust pollutants that researchers estimate kill hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year.
And Scott fumes about Trump’s outspoken support of the internal combustion engine, but also how the oil industry supported his second White House run, with one study showing that national Republicans got $450 million in support from oil interests.
“Buying gas and gas-powered cars needs to stop for political reasons, because Big Oil poured hundreds of millions into each of Trump’s campaigns,” Scott said in an interview. “And it needs to stop for environmental reasons.” In an op-ed for a Santa Monica paper, Scott summarized: “Climate change is accelerating, with some impacts now irreversible for centuries, according to a new scientific report which confirmed that global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions and sea levels all reached record highs in 2024.”
The clean energy zealot gained a moment of notoriety in 2013 when he made a $32,400 donation to President Obama, in hopes of securing a meeting to tout electric vehicles. But the Democratic president’s handlers did not like how Scott tried to use the moment to gain publicity. They canceled his invitation to a luncheon where he would have met the president.
Scott makes no apologies for that episode or any of his proselytizing about the imperative to get more people out of gas-driven vehicles. He’s particularly incensed that more liberals haven’t made the switch.
“Most people will never think about this, but the most harmful thing they will do in their entire life is buying and burning gasoline,” Scott said.
So, there he was, on the day after he hit his year anniversary on the busy street corner, in front of an ARCO station, with many drivers honking and giving him a thumbs up. A lesser number turned their thumbs down. One woman in a Prius slowed and reached out the window to hand Scott a Starbucks card, saying, “I just thank you for doing this!” He’s also taken on “the MAGA people,” when they stop to challenge him. “I know this topic,” he says, “and I will win every discussion, if they really want to debate.”
Scott said his arms and back get sore, but he doesn’t plan to stop his daily demonstrations any time soon.
“It feels like I’m making a difference,” said Scott, who was joined for part of this session by his ex-wife, friend and fellow electric-power fanatic Zan Dubin-Scott. “I’m constantly reminding people, when you buy gas you are supporting Trump and climate change.” He’s elated to report that five residents in his condo complex have told him they plan to make the gas-to-electric switch.
The push to electrify America’s vehicles has run into headwinds since Trump returned to office. He signed an executive order that cut funding for charging infrastructure, eliminated a $7,500 tax incentive for EV car buyers and abandoned an earlier goal that EVs make up half of new cars sold nationally by 2030. Despite that, Californians have been seeking out EVs, often buying more affordable used ones.
Scott says he’s optimistic. “The end game,” he said, “is we kill the internal combustion industry.”
LAUSD Supt. Alberto M. Carvalho in 2022.
(Irfan Khan / For The Times)
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Comedian Sammy Cantu performs his set at Coffee Confessionals in Hollywood.
(Emil Ravelo / For The Times)
A view of snow and mountains near Big Pine, Calif.
(Sydney Quinn)
Sydney Quinn took this photo last week while cross country skiing near Big Pine, Calif.
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Jackie and Shadow welcomed a new egg on Tuesday afternoon, offering hope for babies this year after a previous clutch was eaten by ravens.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
Today’s great photo is from Friends of Big Bear Valley at the nest of Big Bear eagles Jackie and Shadow, who welcomed a new egg on Tuesday afternoon after their first clutch of two eggs was destroyed by ravens last month.
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
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