Papua New Guinean Climate Change Activist Latin N’Drihin has described U.S President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord as a slap in the face for small island countries and developing nations. He however urges that Trump’s decision should not derail their campaign against the effects of climate change.
In an interview with EMTV, N’Drihin said Trump’s decision was selfish and unfair on island states making reference to a campaign promise he made to revive the coal industry.
“… My administration is putting an end to the war on coal. We’re going to have clean coal, really clean coal. With today’s executive action, I am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on American energy, to reverse government intrusion, and to cancel job killing regulations,” Trump said.
And what better way to start then to tear down tough Environmental regulations now suppressing coal mine operations in the U.S. Under the Paris Accord, the United States committed to reducing its emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2025. But Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax, and refused to endorse the landmark climate change, says he needed more time to decide.
N’Drihin says island countries should not lose sleep over Trump’s decision and instead focus on keeping a united front in the fight against what is now their bigger enemy, climate change.
The 45-year-old activist commenced the 5-day, 80 kilometre walk today(June 04) from downtown Port Moresby to the Sogeri National High school in a bid to make a statement of support for climate change action.
N’Drihin, who planned the walk long before Trump made the announcement, narrowed the cause of his walk down to a protest against this Trump’s decision. He plans to make a formal statement on the matter on World Environment Day Celebration at the Varirata Park on Monday. Widely known in the Pacific for his radical advocacy campaigns, N’Drihin narrowly avoided deportation from Fiji in 2015, when he returned to PNG 10 days into a similar three-month peace walk.
