It is a strange situation that Jerry Brown, the governor of California, who is currently in China to participate in a conference on energy in Beijing, took the opportunity to seek a meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting lasted less than an hour and top foreign policy officials of China were present. The meeting covered subjects related to climate change like efforts to reduce carbon footprints and promoting renewable energy.
The Chinese media did not make any mention of the Paris accord and there was no criticism of the American president.
However, the media did promote Xi Jinping as a global leader on climate change.
Governor of California talks climate change
Jerry Brown is a Democrat and the Governor of California and has been active in public life for over four decades. He ran for President but did not succeed and he now plans to retire to his ranch because he is aware that there are many younger hopefuls waiting to get into his shoes. He is right now in China and has met Xi Jinping who appears to be set to take a more commanding role in fighting climate change. Jerry Brown appears to be on his way to hold the portfolio of a de facto envoy from the United States on this sensitive issue after President Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris accord.
From all accounts, one can see a different Jerry Brown who plans to take up cudgels against those who are critical of climate change. As Governor of California, he had certain local priorities to attend to like the high-speed rail link connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. He now has less than two years left in office and he could take over the volatile issue of climate change to ensure a better future for the coming generations.
Importance of focusing on climate change
Scientists have carried out extensive studies on the subject of climate change and have established that the temperature of the Earth is rising. This is what global warming is all about and it is the result of carbon emission in various forms mostly from carbon-based fuels like coal and gas.
The way out is to opt for alternate sources of energy like solar energy.
The consequences of global warming are melting of glaciers at the Poles with a rise in sea levels and associated dangers of floods and storms accompanied by landslides. The ecological balance goes for a toss and all living beings have to bear the brunt of this phenomenon of global warming. Many of them lose their natural habitats and encroach into alien territories for survival.
The stand taken by Jerry Brown is at a variance with the policy adopted by Donald Trump. It is obvious that the Governor of California is keen to promote climate change in his own way and with Xi Jinping beside him, he could herald in a change in perception that will benefit the environment and be good for society.
