French President Emmanuel Macron showed Donald Trump what leadership looks like on Thursday by calling on the world to come together to address the “international crisis” raging in the Amazon rain forest.
“Our house is burning. Literally,” Macron said in a tweet. “The Amazon rain forest – the lungs which produces 20% of our planet’s oxygen – is on fire. It is an international crisis.”
He urged members of the G7 to make the issue a top priority when they meet in the coming days.
Our house is burning. Literally. The Amazon rain forest – the lungs which produces 20% of our planet’s oxygen – is on fire. It is an international crisis. Members of the G7 Summit, let’s discuss this emergency first order in two days! #ActForTheAmazon pic.twitter.com/dogOJj9big
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— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 22, 2019
As Macron noted, the Amazon generates 20 percent of earth’s oxygen. It is vital to the survival of the planet, even if it doesn’t register on the day-to-day radar of the average American – especially the current president of the United States.
Not to mention, according to CNN, the Amazon is “considered vital in slowing global warming, and it is home to uncountable species of fauna and flora. Roughly half the size of the United States, it is the largest rainforest on the planet.”
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes explained why these particular fires are a disaster for the world:
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes says the Amazon fires are “as bad as it gets.” #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/Ey8E59m29q
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) August 23, 2019
Meanwhile, Trump doesn’t even believe in climate change
As the Amazon fires begin to generate more attention around the globe, the United States continues to be led by a guy who believes climate change is a hoax created by the Chinese.
Since Trump took office in 2017, his environmental policy decisions have been a reflection of his ignorance. He has rolled back Obama-era environmental protections, withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement and advocated for the fossil fuel interests that bankrolled his campaign.
The United States has gone from leading on climate change to not even being in the room to discuss it. What French President Emmanuel Macron showed on Thursday is that the rest of the world still intends to fight for the planet, even if the U.S. has essentially pulled out of the climate change fight.
The Amazon fires are just the latest example of how climate change is destroying the planet. It’s time for the United States to have a president who recognizes this harsh reality and rallies the world to fight it.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
