Trump calls climate activists in Davos "prophets of doom"
US President Donald Trump and climate activist Greta Thunberg grab worldwide attention at the opening of the Davos 2020 Economic Forum, which began Tuesday in Switzerland. The Republican leader intervenes in the forum on the same day that the political trial begins against him in the Senate.
This Tuesday, January 21, began the World Economic Forum of Davos, which brings together the world political and economic elite for 50 years. Never before has a young teenager had the same attention as a president of the United States and the expectations of a confrontation - since both have exchanged barbs through Twitter - were high.
Donald Trump arrived to open the forum's round of speeches - which this year focuses on climate change - hours before the political trial begins in the United States Senate against him. During his speech, the Republican president flaunted the victory of his Administration in the trade negotiations he had with China, on the one hand, and Mexico and Canada, on the other. And he mentioned a long list of economic advances in his country that he wanted to show as an "example to follow."
The Republican president arrives in Davos hours before the political trial against him
"The American dream is back," Trump reiterated, mentioning in his speech, which lasted half an hour, all the economic achievements recorded during his tenure, including "historical levels of growth and job creation." The American invited foreign countries to invest in his country saying that "the time of skepticism is over."
While the main theme of the forum is the climate and environmental emergency, Trump focused his speech on the economic importance of the United States. But the Republican toured activist Thunberg - who was in the audience during his speech - criticizing the "catastrophists" of climate change and called the activists "the prophets of perdition."
“I am a believer of the environment. I want cleaner water and air, ”said Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his skepticism about climate change. He also said that the United States will join the initiative, launched by Davos, to plant a billion trees.
While Thunberg responded to Trump by saying that "planting trees is not enough to address climate change." "Our house is still burning," said the activist, repeating her statements at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum a year ago. "His inaction is fanning the flames," added the teenager.
Thunberg: "Planting trees is not the solution"
The 17-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg called on global political and economic elites to include young people in the "conversation" and put more emphasis on science. “I am not a person who can complain about not being heard. They are listening to me all the time. But in general, the science and voice of young people is not at the center of the conversation and it has to be, ”said the activist.
During the opening of the forum, Thunberg claimed that “we are all fighting for the climate and the environment. But if they look at it from a general perspective, nothing has been done in practice. We would need much more than this. ” The young woman stressed the message that has inspired millions of people: that governments are not waking up to the reality of climate change.
For his part, Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz said that the strongest thing about Trump's speech was that it was scheduled between sessions on climate change.
Sustainability is the buzzword in the forum, which began in 1971, with high-heeled crampons distributed to participants to encourage them to walk the icy streets instead of using cars, and the painting of posters made of seaweed.
With Reuters and EFE
Information source : France 24
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