Rally to denounce Trump “playing Russian roulette with climate change”
The Stop Climate Chaos coalition has called a protest rally outside the US Embassy in Dublin for Friday lunchtime to protest at President Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. The coalition of aid agencies, environmental organizations, student and faith groups, denounced President Trump’s decision, describing it as “playing Russian roulette with humanity’s life support system” and urged the new Taoiseach to unambiguously reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.
Dr Cara Augustenborg, Chairperson of Friends of the Earth, said
“We’ll be outside the US Embassy not just to denounce President Trump’s decision but to demonstrate that the rest of the world is moving on to a cleaner, healthier future without him.
“Mr Trump is playing Russian roulette with humanity’s life support system, loading the dice in favour of more floods, droughts and storms disrupting and destroying lives and livelihoods around the world, including in the US itself.
“This decision is the last gasp of the fossil fuel era. Trump is indulging a futile nostalgia for a bygone era. The coal mines are not coming back.
“The sun will still rise tomorrow, and twice as many people in the US will get up and go to work in the solar industry as in the coal mines.
“US states, companies and citizens are already moving away from fossil fuels. And around the world we the people must now stand up for climate action to ensure our Governments don’t use Trump’s decision as an excuse for inaction.”
Eamonn Meehan, Executive Director of Trócaire, said:
“Ireland will soon have a new Taoiseach. One of his first acts should be to unambiguously reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. The Trump administration’s hostility to reality should not distract the rest of the world from the task of building a safe and sustainable future. This is an opportunity for Ireland to show leadership on the global stage by reaffirming our belief in and commitment to the targets set out in the Paris Agreement.”
Supporters of the member organizations of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition will be gathering outside the US Embassy in Ballsbridge at 1pm on Friday. All our welcome to join this demonstration of our commitment to Ireland doing its fair share to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Stop Climate Chaos
Stop Climate Chaos is a coalition of civil society organisations campaigning for Ireland to do its fair share to tackle climate change. The members include development, environmental, youth and faith-based organisations: Afri, BirdWatch Ireland, Christian Aid Ireland, Comhlámh, Community Work Ireland, Concern Worldwide, Cultivate, Cyclist.ie, Dublin Friends of the Earth, Eco Congregation Ireland, ECO UNESCO, Feasta, Friends of the Earth, Fossil Free TCD, Gorta, Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Just Forests, Kimmage Development Studies Centre, Latin America Solidarity Centre, Liberia Solidarity Group, Methodist Church of Ireland – Council of Social Responsibility, Mountmellick Environmental Group, National Youth Council of Ireland, Oxfam Ireland, Peoples Climate Ireland, Presentation Ireland, Tearfund Ireland, Trócaire, An Taisce, Vita, VOICE, Young Friends of the Earth.
