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https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2025/nov/09/amid-squabbles-bombast-and-competing-interests-what-can-cop30-achieve>
"“It broke my heart.” Surangel Whipps, president of the tiny Pacific nation of
Palau, was sitting in the front row of the UN’s general assembly in New York
when Donald Trump made a long and rambling speech, his first to the UN since
his re-election, on 23 September.
Whipps was prepared for fury and bombast from the US president, but what
followed was shocking. Trump’s rant on the climate crisis – a “green scam”,
“the greatest con job ever perpetrated”, “predictions made by stupid people” –
was an unprecedented attack on science and global action from a major world
leader.
Palau, threatened by rising sea levels, floods and more intense storms, is home
to nearly 20,000 people, all likely to be made refugees if global heating
surpasses 1.5C for a prolonged period, a likelihood they are desperate to
prevent. They know they are just the beginning, the frontline. Globally,
hundreds of millions of people’s homes and livelihoods will be destroyed by
climate breakdown within decades.
“Our children need hope, they need to be inspired,” says Whipps. “They need to
see us coming together to solve problems.”
What they got instead was a tirade, disbelief and discouragement."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
