Summary Macron in his message emphasised his belief in and commitment to climate change.
(Web Desk) - The new French President Emmanuel Macron took a jab at US President Donald Trump by inviting scientists in the United States working on climate change to France.
In a video message given in February that resurfaced on social media recently, the investment banker turned politician criticised Trump’s skepticism towards and his policies regarding climate change. Macron then went on to invite scientists affected by Trump’s moves against climate change efforts to France, going as far as to say, “France is your nation.”
The video reemerged days before the US Environment Protection Agency removed half of its scientific board, in order for them to be replaced by representatives of industries that the EPA is supposed to regulate.
President Trump has publicly shared his disbelief on climate change, and has even claimed it to be a hoax perpetrated to aid the Chinese. The new French president’s message appears to be good news for US scientists who have been negatively affected by Trump’s unfavourable stance on climate change.
Macron in his message emphasised his belief in and commitment to climate change and said, “I do know how your new president has decided to jeopardise your budget, your initiatives and he is extremely skeptical about climate change. I have no doubt about climate change and how we have to be committed regarding this issue.”
He then continued on to firstly, assuring French scientists of reinforcing their budget, further promising to accelerate initiatives in order to meet the demands of COP21 (goals to be met under the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2015).
The French president then directly addressed US climate change scientists, saying, “Please come to France, you are welcome. It is your nation, we like innovation, we want innovative people. We want people working on climate change, energy, renewables and new technologies.”
For scientists in the United States, who are currently working under an administration hostile towards efforts to fight climate change, this message by the new French president is reassuring. For them, to work against climate change under Trump is not feasible, as the new administration is bent upon undoing years of efforts and measures undertaken to halt climate change.
In March this year, president Trump transformed his denial about climate change into the official policy of the White House when he signed an executive order to undo Obama’s climate change efforts, specifically withdrawing the former president’s Clean Power Plan.
Moreover, Trump’s Environment Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, known as ‘Pruitt the Polluter’ among climate change activists, believes that there still exists doubt among scientists about whether global warming is caused by humans or not.
Keeping in mind Trump’s adversity towards climate change efforts and EPA’s move to remove half of its scientific advisory board, many scientists in the US would be considering accepting the invitation of Emmanuel Macron. If this happens, the United States, a hub of science and technology, may suffer a brain drain as its innovative minds leave. It seems Trump did not learn anything from the fact that the Canadian immigration website crashed when he was in the lead in the November elections.
