We are inevitably impacted by all that which occurs around us. It is therefore only a question of time that we will have to take into consideration the views, utterances and decisions of the new tenant at the White House, Washington DC.
As I write this opinion, news is coming in of the first decisions, mostly through executive orders, of US President Donald Trump. Various decisions stick out: most of them will have a very long-term impact, on a global level.
Opting out of the Paris climate deal, is, in my view, the most consequential of the Trump decisions, so far. It will trigger considerable damage on a global level which will take years to remedy, if this will ever be possible. It is a decision which was however expected.
Coming so soon after the year 2024 was labelled as the hottest year ever, this decision considerably exposes each and every one of us to substantially greater risks than those we already face. We already face the consequences of the accumulated carbon emissions: extreme weather, drought, floods, temperature extremes, melting ice-caps and sea-level rise.
The Paris agreed target of limiting temperature rise to not more than 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial mean temperature has already been breached at a global level.
Currently we are witnessing the wildfires in California at an increased frequency and intensity. Experts state that this is the result of longer periods of drought resulting in more dried-up landscapes. Consequently, the potential for ignition and spread of wildfires has increased exponentially. An element of mismanagement makes matters much worse.
Today we are witnessing these wildfires in California. Previously we witnessed them in Australia and other parts of the world.
Likewise, we have witnessed the havoc resulting from floods in various parts of the world as a result of excessive precipitation and overflowing rivers. Heat-waves are a more frequent occurrence as are the associated deaths from dehydration and other heat-related symptoms. It will get worse!
In addition to the denial of climate change there is a considerable resistance to smell the coffee. Even at a European Union level there is a build-up in the resistance to the required (and essential) climate change action. Trump has cancelled Biden's Green Deal. In the European Union there are already various attempts to dilute the EU Green Deal.
In all this, Malta is no exception. Most of us get extremely worried when we witness the negative impacts of climate change which are considerably on the increase. Yet, most do not see the link of all this with our behaviour and life style. There is a considerable resistance to addressing behavioural change. This is the reason, for example, for the substantial investment in road infrastructure which will inevitably generate more cars on our roads. This will add to climate change impacts irrespective if we opt for cars running on fossil fuels or else on electric-run cars. The required modal shift is nowhere in sight.
The decision of the US President to opt out of the Paris Climate deal will dilute its effectiveness considerably. It is a decision which will encourage climate change deniers everywhere. In fact, The Heartland Institute, a US-based think-tank has been working with rightwing MEPs to campaign against environmental policies, as was revealed by the Guardian earlier this week. The Heartland Institute, linked to the Trump administration is, according to the Guardian, financed by ExxonMobil and wealthy Republican donors.
While we speak of a climate emergency, the US President is more preoccupied with his perception of an energy emergency: drill baby drill. "We have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it - let me use it. We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it."
Opting out of the Paris Climate deal is just one issue. There are, and will be many others, in particular Trump's decision to withdraw the United States of America from the World Health Organisation.
Unfortunately, there is not much time left to remedy the damage unleashed. No wonder that Ian Borg, Malta's Foreign Minister, invited to Trump's inauguration, was overwhelmed!
An architect and civil engineer, the author is a former Chairperson of ADPD-The Green Party in Malta. [email protected] , http://carmelcacopardo.wordpress.com