The leader of the fourth largest economy in the world California Governor Gavin Newsom pledged California would be a “reliable partner” in addressing the climate crisis at an appearance this week at COP30 in Belim, Brazil. The United States, which opted out of the Paris Agreement when Donald Trump assumed office in January, is not in attendance at the annual meeting. Newsom met with representatives from other countries Tuesday and Wednesday at the two week summit and called Trump “an invasive species” whose disregard for climate change is an “abomination.”
"The reason I'm here is in the absence of leadership coming from the United States," he said at an investors summit in Brazil's financial hub of Sao Paulo on Monday. "This vacuum, it's rather jaw-dropping."
Newsom has touted California's embrace of green tech, highlighting that the state has seven times more renewable energy jobs than fossil fuel jobs and reminding people that EV giant Tesla
(TSLA.O), opens new tab was founded in California. This is in sharp contrast to Washington's climate denial and determination to boost global use of polluting fossil fuels.
www.reuters.com/...
Newsom was surrounded by attendees as he navigated his way to numerous events and was vocal in his criticism of the Trump administration for its attacks on both the climate and democracy. He sidestepped questions about his plans to run for the presidency in 2028.
“He’s an invasive species, he’s a wrecking-ball president” he said of Trump. “He’s trying to roll back progress of the last century. He’s trying to recreate the 19th century. He’s doubling down on stupid.”
"What the hell is going on here?" Newsom asked at a global investors' summit in São Paulo on Monday, where he fired off a characteristic criticism of the Trump administration. "We're in Brazil — one of our great trading partners, one of the world's great democracies. Home to all the rare earth metals we need. This is the country we should be engaging with, not slapping with 50% tariffs."
Another governor, New Mexico's Michelle Lujan Grisham, is also in attendance at the summit, where delegates from 190 countries are on hand to address the climate crisis, discuss plans to convert the world to a clean energy economy, and negotiate monetary compensation for poorer least developed countries that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change.
A new U.N. analysis released this week shows that, if current national commitments are met, global emissions should fall by about 12% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels. That's an improvement from last month's projection of 10%, but still far short of the 60% reduction scientists say would be needed to keep warming within the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. www.cbsnews.com/...
Newsom proceeded “to paint President Trump as a threat to American competitiveness by letting China dominate electric vehicles, solar panels and other clean energy technologies of the future.
“The United States of America better wake up at that,” Mr. Newsom said at one of his many packed sessions at the climate conference, known as COP30. “It’s not about electric power. It’s about economic power. We, as the state of California, are not going to cede that race to China.”
-snip-
As the most prominent American official at the summit, Mr. Newsom was trailed by crowds at the conference. Going from one packed event to the next, the governor stopped to talk to admirers, waved to an applauding crowd at one point and entertained questions from the media, with the United Nations security detail having trouble getting him to events on time. It was his first appearance at an international climate conference and it was all the more notable because of the absence of an official United States delegation.
“Donald Trump didn’t show up at COP30 but California did,” Mr. Newsom said.
Referring to the news that Trump has drawn up plans for drilling off the California coast, Newsom said “over my dead body, full stop. He said he wants to open up the coast of California, but he doesn’t want oil-drilling rigs off the coast of Florida, not across the street from Mar-a-Lago. He’s silent on that. But it’s not going to happen. It’s dead on arrival.”
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share a virtual kitchen table with other readers of Daily Kos who aren’t throwing pies at one another. Drop by to talk about music, your weather, your garden, or what you cooked for supper…. Newcomers may notice that many who post in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table and hope to make some new friends as well.
