Global Justice Groups speak out on impact of 2016 USA Election

Global Justice Group’s backlash after US Election results…

Global Justice groups called a Press conference in response to the 2016 US elections, in terms of a climate denialist being elected to the Whitehouse, and an urgent call on the Parties to the UNFCCC to protect the U.N. climate talks and climate policymaking around the world from the influence of big polluters, at COP 22, Marrakech.

Opening statement by Mr Asad Rehman of Friends of Earth Intl. (FOE), quote: “I want to express our solidarity as a global federation with all those in the US who awoke today (09.11.16) with the fear of renewed and ongoing racism and zenophobia in terms of the election of a climate change denier and society antagonist to US President-elect and to our colleagues in the Native American communities, including all those on the frontline, poor and black communities facing environmental justice”, unquote.

Corporate Accountability International (Mr Jesse Bragg) – we are a Human Rights watchdog in corporate accountability and the challenge is corporate abuse, as well as leading the ‘Kick Big Polluters Out’ campaign at UNFCCC, which is focused on protecting these negotiations and climate policy, moreover from the influence of the fossil fuel and emission intensive industries.  The President-elect has vowed regardless of it’s foundation and law to exit the Paris Agreement, however, the devastation actually goes much deeper – this election has exposed deep divides in our country driven by an economic system that benefits the few, whilst leaving the vast majority behind and one of the greatest challenges that face us now is the uncertainty of the new administrations future actions and role in these negotiations.
It is ever more clear that we cannot count on the US and some other global North countries for solutions that work for the people on the planet and given this new reality, civil society globally must unite in forging ahead and support those governments that seek to ‘Do the Right Thing’ for our planet and expose those who don’t – we must stop allowing the US from undermining climate policy!

Centre for Biological Diversity (Ms Jean Su) – who speaks for an environmental and climate justice organization both for ecosystems and vulnerable communities around the world.  We believe that the world, nor climate progress will “crash and burn”, because of the new US President-elect’s climate denial and negative views on other social standards.  Lessons from the past have taught us that to combat these negative challenges, we have two clear methods with which to work, i.e. a) People power in civil society, vulnerable communities and countries and b) institutions viz; Federal State system whose main purpose is to limit the power of the US president to regress on important issues like the existential climate crisis, and on local level we will persist as US citizens and it is incumbent on us all to take state local action on all fronts as well as educate all US citizens to band together – one single man cannot ruin a whole 20 years of progress and entire globe progression for Climate Change!

SustainUS (Ms Becky Chung) – speaker for a USA Youth Group who stand for storytelling and justice.  Although I am relatively new to the Climate Change negotiations, within my lifetime we need to have a just transition to 100% renewable energy, and this means stopping all new fossil fuel infrastructure, e.g. Dakota Access pipeline, etc.  The impacts of Climate Change (CC) are first and foremost a human issue and when Donald Trump vowed to pull out of the Paris Agreement, he sent a clear message to the world that people on the frontlines of CC and their culture, are expendable!  We will not tolerate such injustice, the young people of the world will hold him accountable, being the generation most impacted by CC – we are not the generation that voted him into office.
In terms of the Climate Justice community being able to implement all actions necessary to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees, it is not a matter of whether the political climate is right but a matter of our survival as humanity!

 Friends of Earth-Africa (Geoffrey Kamese) – as a continent on the front line of CC, the people of Africa are already experiencing the real world impacts of CC, i.e. hunger, poverty and environmental injustice.  In a continent where more than 65% of our citizens rely on rain-fed agriculture, where the impacts of extreme weather means more hunger, we, as African civil society are deeply concerned that the country most responsible for the Climate Change crisis, having the most resources and ability to tackle CC crisis, both in cutting emissions and supporting the CC front line in the right to safe and dignified life for all, has turned its back on its responsibilities.
We, the people of Africa, now call on the leaders of the rest of the world, communities and in particular, the rich developed countries, i.e. Canada, New Zealand, members of EU and Japan to commit to ongoing participation and step up their efforts and contributions on the climate front and demonstrate to Africa and other poor countries of the world that whilst the US has plans to turn its back on its responsibilities to address the climate crisis, they will not.

Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development (Mr Wilfred D’Costa) – with the ongoing suffering of millions of people all over the global south due to CC, the news of the new USA President-elect has been shocking in terms of his stand on climate change and other social issues, which is going to accelerate the suffering of the common people all over the world, including the US.
We also see such right wing, hardcore aggressive capital leadership all over the world, and we cannot accept this state of affairs and refuse to accept the fate being handed to us. Humanity must not become complacent about the US administrations or other capitalistic countries reliance on fossil fuels and emission intensive industries, we have to fight back and build alliances so as to ensure the climate, it’s people and ecosystems are saved and the global system changes for the better.

In closing, on the lighter side, some quotes from the panel:

Quote : “We know that the Americans have no choice, the bipolar politics in the US only means a choice between a “red devil’ or a ‘yellow devil’ – You decide how to die – whether You die in a frying pan or die by jumping into the fire”! unquote.

Quote : “I would like to add that Donald Trump is not as powerful a man as he thinks that he is and that the ‘Power of the People’ will absolutely prevent any sort of destruction that he wants to cause”! unquote

Links :

http://kickbigpollutersout.org/about/  (Action campaign to kick big polluters out of the most important climate policy negotiations)
https://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/about-us   (Corp. Accountability Intl.)
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/  (Centre for Biological Diversity)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/12/oil-spill-pipeline-north-dakota-standing-rock-belle-fourche – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/12/oil-spill-pipeline-north-dakota-standing-rock-belle-fourche

Now is a moment of great fear and uncertainty, but we cannot give in to despair. People power has resisted great threats and transformed the world before—we must stand together once again for a just and livable world for all !

Author: Jenni Schutte ~ Chief Editor for Mother Channel
“The Peculiar Parrot!”