The world should stop fretting about deciphering Donald Trump’s often contradictory statements on the environment and on a multitude of other policy issues, and get on with its own agenda, says one of Canada’s most prominent environmental activists.
“We have to just sit back and say, ‘OK, regardless where Trump is going, what is the rest of the world do?” said David Suzuki a scientist, an environmentalist and a well-known broadcaster.
“The vast majority of countries in the world are committed to the Paris Agreement, whether the United States jumps out or not, and he (Trump) has promised to jump out, you still have the bulk of the world, including China, committed to go in a different direction.”
(click to listen to the full interview with David Suzuki. Warning: some strong language)
ListenSuzuki, was in Montreal today to announce the second phase of the Blue Dot movement, a national grassroots campaign to enshrine environmental rights in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
No turning the tide
The problem that policy makers and activists face in trying to decipher what the Trump presidency means for the environment is that nobody understands where Trump really stands, Suzuki said.
“During the entire campaign, he didn’t really present any coherent plan and he was all over the map,” Suzuki said. “We have no idea where he is taking us.”
Still there are reasons to be optimistic, he said.
Suzuki said he doubts Trump will be able to reverse the tide of technological innovation in clean energy sweeping over the U.S. economy.
“Coal is on its way out and renewable energy is by far the fastest growing sector in the United States,” Suzuki said. “I don’t think Trump can stop that.”
Stick to Paris Agreements
The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should stick with its obligations under the Paris Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emission whether the Trump administration leaves the historic agreement or not, he said.
Suzuki lambasted opposition Conservative Party interim leader Rona Ambrose for suggesting that the Liberal government should rethink implementing its carbon tax policy because of Trump’s opposition to such policies in the U.S.
“What the hell? That’s the attitude of Harper,” Suzuki said. “All Rona is saying is we want to continue the attitude of Harper days. We booted Harper out because Canadians didn’t want that.”
Suzuki said he doesn’t buy the Conservatives’ argument that Canada’s stronger environment regulations would hurt the country’s economy, especially if the U.S. industry under Trump administration doesn’t face the same constraints.
Globalization has meant that corporations seek and find places with the lowest environmental protection and labour standards to produce their products, Suzuki said.
“I think we’ve got to really concentrate on an economic agenda that supports our workers here,” Suzuki said. “And if that means putting up tariffs, God damn it, put up tariffs!”
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