Whatever you opine of the rest of his political posture , it ’s fairly clear that Gallic President Emmanuel Macron is keen to portray France as a defender of skill , bothrhetoricallyandpractically . This stem carry over to his Wednesday speech to a joint session of Congress , in which he speak to a full House and Senate , as well as Trump ’s Cabinet and Vice President Pence .
After slightly placating Trump in the beginning this week at the White House , the French offer an eloquent rebuke to the American President and much of the GOP – not just politically , but on a scientific level too . Here ’s what he had to say on the subject .
On The competitiveness Against Ignorance
“ I believe that against ignorance , we have pedagogy . Against inequalities , development . Against cynicism , trust and good faith . Against fanaticism , culture . Against disease , medicine . Against the threats on the major planet , science . ”
On Climate Change
“ We are just citizens of the same planet , so we will have to confront it … With business organisation drawing card and local communities , lease us work together so as to make our planet great again , and produce new jobs , and new chance , ones safeguard our Earth . ”
Apart from repeating a common refrain against Trump ’s isolationist “ Make America Great Again ” motif , Macron here is derive , quite rightly , that investing in environmentally sensitive task , admit solar and wind might for object lesson , more jobs will be create .
In fact , it ’s an oft - quotedfallacyby climate skeptics or deniers that dealing with climate change will be jobs and smart the economy , whendataclearly shows that the reverse is true . Not only is solar , for example , one of thefastest get industriesin the US , but indue in this industry – and related industries – will ply way more revenue andsavingsthat the costs of effectuation and operation themselves .
That ’s not to say that the inherent threat of climate change , and the urgency demand to address it , was n’t also emphasized in Macron ’s spoken language as well .
articulate that he hears people ’s economic concerns , he nevertheless accentuate that “ we must bump a smooth transition to a low - carbon paper economy . ”
“ By polluting the oceans , not mitigating CO2emissions , and destruct our biodiversity , we are killing our satellite . permit us face it : There is no planet B.
“ What is the signification of our liveliness if we go and live destroying the planet , and sacrifice things for the future tense of our tyke ? What is the import of our life if our decision , our conscious decisiveness , is to cut back the opportunity for our children and grandchildren ? ”
On The Paris Agreement
“ I ’m sure , one day , the United States will come back and link the Paris agreement . And I ’m sure we can work together to fulfill with you the ambitions of the worldwide compact on the surroundings . ”
Despite Trump ’s half - hearted assertions that any renegotiations of the Paris agreement could invite the current administration – which play the sole land on Earth to reject the climate accords – to not abandon the accord , the other signatory have clearly signaled this wo n’t happen . It ’s demonstrably absolved that the President hasno ideahow the arrangement in reality work , and in this case , it ’s likely Macron is refer to a succeeding administration’sactions .
Overall , the speech was as silver-tongued as it was pointed ; gravid parts of it were a cod cry for skill and scientific cooperation , a rare display on The Hill these days . Although he ’s clearlydoing his partfor climate change mitigation back in Europe , Macron is also quite content stealing the President ’s thunder and undercutting his anti - scientific mental attitude mightily in front of the American political class too .
