Manaus. Surrounded by tall green trees in the Brazilian Amazon, US President Joe Biden called this Sunday to protect the largest rainforest in the world and questioned whether his successor, Donald Trump, can reverse the “clean energy revolution” in the United States.
During his visit to the city of Manaus, the first to the Amazon by a sitting US president, Biden challenged Trump, who has promised to reverse the environmental policies of the Democratic administration.
“The Amazon rainforest was built over 50 million years… 50 million years. History is literally watching us now. So let us preserve this sacred place for our time and forever, for the benefit of all humanity,” Biden said in a statement to the press.
This tropical ecosystem, which extends across nine South American countries, although the majority is in Brazilian territory (60 percent), is one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change and environmental degradation.
A recent study by the RAISG monitoring network reveals that it has lost an area similar to that of Colombia in four decades.
Dart at Trump
The historic visit comes as the world prepares for Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20.
Skeptical of the environmental crisis, the former Republican president (2017-2021) promised during the election campaign to “drill, drill, drill” and increase the extraction of fossil fuels.
Experts warned that his second presidency would slow the transition to green energy that Biden has pushed, crushing hopes of reaching crucial climate goals in the coming years.
But the outgoing president, 81, considered this Sunday that “no one” can reverse the “clean energy revolution” in his country.
“Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, enjoy its benefits. Not when countries around the world are taking advantage of the clean energy revolution to get ahead,” he said.
“Friends, we don’t have to choose between the environment and the economy. We can do both. “We have shown it at home,” he added.
Help for the jungle
The democratic ruler arrived in Manaus with his daughter Ashley and his granddaughter Natalie. He immediately set off on an aerial tour of the Amazon, before visiting the “Museu da Amazônia”.
There, he entered a small fraction of the tropical forest of tall trees, covered by noisy macaws, and talked with indigenous leaders, environmental defenders and businessmen.
The museum is within the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, considered by many to be the starting point of the Amazon River and the gateway to the Amazon.
His landing was preceded by a symbolic announcement: the White House reported that the United States increased its bilateral contribution to finance the fight against climate change to 11 billion dollars annually in 2024.
The figure makes the North American giant “the largest bilateral contributor to climate financing in the world,” according to Washington.
The announcement comes as participants at the COP29 climate conference in Baku argue over who should finance the fight against the environmental crisis.
“No state should boast of being the largest bilateral financier. It is the total contribution that counts and the United States never reached its fair share,” Friederike Roder, of the NGO Global Citizen, however, warned AFP.
Next stop: the G20
Among other measures, Biden announced that his country will double, up to $100 million, its contribution to the Amazon Fund, which manages resources from nations and international organizations to preserve this forest considered key to stopping warming due to its ability to absorb CO2.
“Maybe (Trump) can come here and see the forest and the drought damage and other things and change his mind about climate change,” a senior administration official said of the president-elect.
After his trip to the tropical forest, part of a tour of South America, probably the last major foreign trip of his mandate, the US president will leave for Rio de Janeiro.
In the ‘Cidade maravilhosa’ (southeast) the G20 will participate on Monday and Tuesday, where Trump’s return to power and the Baku conference will set the agenda.
The American also plans to have lunch with his Brazilian counterpart, leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030.
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What potential challenges might arise in implementing President Biden’s environmental policies, especially in light of differing opinions on climate change from past administrations?
Welcome to World Today News! Today, we have two special guests to discuss US President Joe Biden’s recent visit to the Amazon rainforest and his stance on climate change and environmental policies. First, let’s welcome Dr. Sarah Johnson, a renowned environmental scientist from Stanford University, and Mr. David Smith, a political analyst and former advisor to the Trump administration. Dr. Johnson, can you tell us about your thoughts on President Biden’s call to protect the Amazon rainforest during his visit? How significant do you think this is for the preservation of the world’s largest rainforest?
Dr. Johnson: Absolutely, thank you for having me. I believe President Biden’s visit and call to protect the Amazon rainforest are crucial steps in the right direction. The Amazon is not only a vital ecosystem but also plays a critical role in mitigating climate change by absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide. It’s heartening to see the administration increasing its financial contributions to the Amazon Fund and pledging to double its support for preservation efforts. However, we need continued global collaboration and significant investments to effectively combat deforestation and its impacts.
Now, turning to you, Mr. Smith, the former president Donald Trump has been quite outspoken about his views on environmental policies. Can you share your thoughts on the clean energy revolution and whether it can be reversed under a Trump presidency? And how do you think his administration’s stance on environmental issues compares to President Biden’s?
Mr. Smith: Well, I think it’s safe to say that the clean energy revolution is here to stay, regardless of who’s in office. The private sector has been steadily investing in renewable technologies for years, and consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products and services. While President Trump did take steps to support fossil fuel industries, his administration’s efforts to roll back environmental regulations and withdraw from international climate agreements were undoubtedly setbacks. However, with growing public interest in climate action and the Biden administration’s commitment to targeting climate change, it will be challenging for any future president to reverse course entirely.
Following up on that, what do you think is the ideal approach for governing bodies to finance climate change initiatives? Should nations
