Published 17:24 IST, January 21st 2020
Donald Trump rejects warnings by climate activists, calls them 'prophets of doom'
The US President Donald Trump addressed the global political and business leaders in Davos and rejected warnings by climate activists in the keynote speech.
United States President Donald Trump addressed the global political and business leaders on January 21 in Davos where he rejected warnings by climate activists and called them 'prophets of doom' in the keynote speech. As house reopened his impeachment trial in Senate, Trump attended the World Economic Forum in Swiss Alps where climate change topped the agenda. However, a climate change sceptic, US leader said 'fear and doubt is not a good thought process'.
Despite the concerns about increasing emissions of greenhouse gases that are widely responsible for drastic climate change, Trump even praised US for producing the world's largest amount of natural gas. On the contrary, when the US President was asked about environmental issues, he replied saying, 'environment is very important to me'. Most of Trump's initial part of the speech included him praising America on domestic economic policies.
Greta's different views in Davos
Furthermore, just a few hours before the US President spoke, the teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg, who is also attending the WEF 2020, urged the leaders to make more drastic action against climate change. She said 'basically nothing has been done' on the environment front because the current efforts by the world do not meet the need of the hour. The 17-year-old also wanted the people in power to listen to the concerns of experts and young people who are demanding action on climate change.
Moreover, it was apparently expected that Thunberg and Trump will clash at the 50th meeting of the World Economic Forum. Both have starkly different views on global warming and will be attending the four-day gathering of the world's top political and business leaders aimed to discuss the dangers of environment and economy. Even though both will reportedly not meet, Trump will give the first keynote address in the Swiss Alps on the same day his impeachment trial begins in the US Senate.
On another hand, the 17-year-old will demand the leaders to put an 'end to their madness' for fossil fuels. Thunberg reportedly claims that she wants changes 'right now' and not by 2050 or 2030 or even 2021. Since the 2015 Paris agreement, according to Rainforest Action’s report, 33 major global banks have collectively invested $1.9 trillion into fossil fuels.
Updated 17:24 IST, January 21st 2020