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DAVOS, Switzerland — I am writing to you as a parent today. A frightened American parent.
When children are killed in their school, I try to keep my fear away from where I am. As much as he can’t. And this week, someone at the World Economic Forum compelled me to tie the safety of our children in a gun-drenched country to the safety of our children in a hotter planet.
It was former vice president Al Gore who drew a straight line between gun policy and climate policy. He spoke with anger and grief, with the conviction of a man who knew American politics from within. And when I needed to focus on something else, I felt the very question I’ve been trying to avoid: Is my child safe at school in the United States?
“Some of the reasons the United States has failed to respond to these tragedies are for the same reasons – lobbying, campaign contributions, hijacking of policy making, money control of politicians, lobbyists – for the same reasons that it is impossible to get past the climate. legislation,” said Gore. “Our democracy is paralyzed, bought, seized. It has to stop.”
If you haven’t already, take a look. This highly informative article by my Times colleagues, It shows where every Republican senator stands on gun control legislation. As my colleague Carl Hulse wroteThe truth is, many Republicans may be open to new gun laws, but they risk losing their jobs if they openly support them.
Here in Davos, a child or anyone else, listening to official panels and press conferences, might get the feeling that the powerful adults here, the giants of industry and government, really care about their future. Climate change and what to do about it dominated most of the sessions.
multinational companies promised to buy green products. Executives talked about reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a great new business opportunity. Tech entrepreneur Marc Benioff spoke of “environmental capitalism.”
Apart from that, in reality, oil and gas companies are making rising profits. Even companies with their own ambitious goals of reaching net zero (to the point where their activities no longer add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere) continue to fund trade associations that undermine climate legislation in the United States, the largest emitter in history. The money promised by the rich to poor countries was not fully realized.
All the while, the extreme weather conditions that replaced climate change have tormented millions of people. A deterrent heatwave followed by flooding in India and Pakistan. Destructive rains and mudslides in South Africa. Fire and drought in the west of America.
“There is a huge disconnect between what is going on there and what is being demanded by people here,” Elizabeth Wathuti, 26, a Kenyan climate activist, said at a protest outside the forum area on Thursday. “It is not right for leaders and companies to say one thing and continue to do another. Lives and livelihoods are at stake. What is needed now is honesty and dignity out of respect for the people who are at the forefront of this crisis.”
The forum was dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rush to obtain oil and gas supplies from anywhere but Russia. Europe is making natural gas deals from Angola to Qatar. The US is increasing its gas exports. Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, told the conference that instead of being on the wrong side of history, oil giants “on the right side of reality”
Raj Shah, head of the Rockefeller Foundation, has spoken openly about the disconnect. “The Russia-Ukraine war has removed the reason the world has to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels in the short run.”
He said this short term could be 10 years, maybe less. But this will have an immediate impact on the world’s ability to slow warming, as what major historical emitters like the US and Europe are doing today is shaping what future great emitters like Indonesia, Brazil or India will be willing to do from now on. . Efforts to persuade these countries to turn away from coal were “naturally undermined by the West’s investment in fossil fuels,” Shah said.
This will undoubtedly shape the future of all our children.
Join us for a Times virtual event
The global south contributes little to climate change but suffers disproportionately from its effects. To The New York Times and leading experts “Closing the Gap in Climate Inequality”, will share their vision for a just, climate-resilient future.
Before you go: tough times for India’s fruit king
From kebabs to refreshments, mango is all over India. But the hottest March in 122 years devastated crops and baffled farmers. “I have never witnessed this phenomenon before in my life,” said one mango farmer. Unfortunately, this may not be the end: Studies show the probability of a heatwave like the current one has increased by at least 30 times since the 19th century.
Thank you for reading. We’ll be back on Tuesday.
Manuela Andreoni, Claire O’Neill, and Douglas Alteen contributed to Climate Forward.
Contact us climateforward@nytimes.com. We read every message and reply to many!
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