The Trump administration brings coal to a climate conference


By: Will Kochtitzky and Anna McGinn

 As you may have already heard on social media, the Trump administration tried to bring coal into the climate change conversation here at COP23 this past Monday. The event, "United States of America, MRI/NREL: The Role of Cleaner and More Efficient Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power in Climate Mitigation," was the only event hosted by the US federal government during the entire two week period (compared to over 100 events in past years). To most attendees at the COP, discussing coal as a climate solution is like bringing tobacco to a cancer conference, as the Guardian reported. Fortunately, the Trump administration was met with strong resistance. 

 A large contingent of delegates here at the COP planned a peaceful statement of resistance ahead of the event which was approved by the United Nations. A group lined up by the room hours before the start of the event to ensure that they would have seats in the room. Another large group gathered outside the room in one of the major halls of the conference center. This group outside sang songs and chants outside of the room while the session was taking place. This gathered the attention of delegates throughout the halls of the conference. Part of the way through the event, all the protesters stood up in the room and started to sing and then march out (see video below). While not part of the planning team, the UMaine crew was there to witness this powerful signal of resistance. 

 The story of resistance made the front page of the New York Times the following day. Check out the article here.



And Trump wasn't the only US politician to receive jeers this week. Governor Jerry Brown, the California climate champion was also heckled by protestors when he spoke in the US Climate Action Pavilion. Governor Brown is being pushed to halt fossil fuel extraction from California, especially since he is a lame-duck governor to a progressive state. Read more about Gov. Brown here in an article by Bill McKibben.

 US citizens, and people from around the world, are showing their commitment to hold all our elected officials accountable on climate change regardless of their rhetorical statements. 

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