U.S. Pres Head In Sand As G7 Leaders Face Climate Crisis

…[U.S. president] skips G7 talks on climate crisis and Amazon fires…[and] misses key meeting as summit agrees €20m fund to fight wildfires

Angelique Chrisafis, 26 August 2019 (UK Guardian)

“…[The U.S. president] did not attend Monday’s crucial discussion on climate and biodiversity at the G7 meeting of international leaders [of the US, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Canada] in Biarritz, missing talks on how to deal with the Amazon rainforest fires as well as new ways to cut carbon emissions…[When asked why, he seemed to be misinformed about when it was held and French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed that only his team] had been present…[Macron said the U.S. president ‘shares’ G7 objectives and is] ‘fully engaged’ in the joint G7 effort to help Brazil put out the fires and reforest…

click to enlarge

Macron had placed the climate emergency and protection of biodiversity at the heart of the summit, even before the Amazon rainforest fires…Reports in the US said senior [U.S. presidential] aides felt Macron was seeking to embarrass his US counterpart by making the summit focus on ‘niche issues’ such as climate change or gender equality…Macron announced that the G7 had agreed to an immediate fund of at least $20m (£16m) to help Amazon countries fight wildfires and launch a long-term global initiative to protect the rainforest…He said the Amazon was the “lungs” of the planet and leaders were studying the possibility of similar support in Africa, also suffering from fires in its rainforests…Macron had shunted the Amazon fires to the top of the summit agenda after declaring them a global emergency…” click here for more

click to enlarge

Tweet