US senator Bernie Sanders has warned that the fight against climate change will be “over” if Donald Trump gets re-elected in November, warning of “irreversible implications for the future habitability of our planet”.
In a speech posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages, Sanders, who embarked on unsuccessful 2016 and 2020 US presidential campaigns of his own, said that in the event that Trump retakes the presidency, “it’s the end – and the people of this planet will have lost.
“Not only does Donald Trump believe climate change is a hoax, but he has and will once again appoint agency leaders and judges who will undermine our ability to move to an energy efficiency and sustainable energy,” Sanders added. “And if the United States retreats from the fight against climate change, countries like China, India, and the rest of the world will follow.”
During the nine-minute address, Sanders acknowledged President Biden‘s accomplishments, but also criticised areas of inadequacy, such as the response to the Gaza conflict.
Implications of Trump presidency
Should Trump be re-elected, however, he warned of dire consequences, such as the potential to worsen income inequality, the rolling back of legislation related to reproductive health, and setbacks in education and civil rights.
“If Donald Trump is elected again, it is likely, and I say this with a heavy heart, but it is likely that the almost 250-year experiment of American democracy is all bit over,” Sanders said.
He also warned of a second Trump presidency “strengthening the hand” of authoritarian leaders already in power around the world, such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.
‘A monumental moment’
“This is a monumental moment,” Sanders closed by saying. “And one thing that we cannot do is bury our heads in the sand. Complacency is not an option.
“We’ve got to stand up, we’ve got to fight back, and we’ve got to make sure that the world and the country that we leave our kids and future generations something that we are proud of.”
You can watch the full speech below. Photo taken from sanders.senate.gov.
The election in November is the most important election in the modern history of this country. Democracy is at stake. pic.twitter.com/vj6fciudUj
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 14, 2024
Looking to navigate the unpredictability of climate change? Read www.sustainabilityonline.net to keep up to date.
