Former president Mary Robinson has sharply criticised US president Donald Trump, accusing him of hypocrisy on climate change and saying he is “in the pocket” of the fossil fuel industry.
Addressing the WE movement, a gathering of people committed to social change and justice in Madison Square Garden, New York, Mrs Robinson said she liked to refer to climate justice, in preference to climate change, as the impacts of events like the hurricanes in the Caribbean affected the poor while the wealthy are the ones who largely get the benefits of fossil fuels.
To rapturous applause she said; “And you have a president Trump who is trying to deny climate change Arrrgh! Arrrgh! Awful! Awful!”
She told the crowd it was a joy to be with them as their youth and enthusiasm were “inspirational”. But she said Mr Trump’s record on climate change was “actually so awful because I know he must believe in climate change. It is just that he is in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry and that is why he does it and it is shameful. Shameful.”
She was speaking on WE Day, which is the manifestation of the WE movement, a group of people coming together to create an impact. WE is a children’s charity founded in 1995 by child’s rights advocate Craig Kielburger. Since 2007, WE Day participants in Canada, the US and UK raised more than €45 million, which was given to more than 1,000 charities. Participants have also volunteered 14.6 million hours for local and global causes and collected 5.6 million pounds of food for local food banks.
