President Biden’s self-styled “Climate Czar,” John Kerry, recently raised eyebrows with a bold declaration: “We’re on the brink of needing to declare a climate emergency, and we need to get people to behave!” (Yes, you heard that right—”behave.”)
This isn’t the first time Kerry has sounded the alarm on climate change, but his latest remarks take the rhetoric up a notch. It seems Kerry (net worth: $250 million) isn’t just focused on tackling global emissions; he’s also calling on American taxpayers to foot the bill for Africa’s energy infrastructure. His latest remarks raise questions about priorities and fairness. Should U.S. citizens bear the financial burden while facing record inflation and skyrocketing energy costs at home?
As The Daily Wire reports:
Kerry made the remarks on Thursday at a recent John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum as the 29th United Nations climate change conference (COP29) concluded.
“I think, personally, we’re on the brink of needing to declare a climate emergency, which is what we really have,” Kerry said. “And we need to get people to behave as if this really is a major transitional challenge to the whole planet, to everybody.”
🚨 NEW: Biden “Climate Czar” John Kerry says “We’re on the brink of needing to declare a climate emergency, and we need to get people to behave!”
*WE* need to behave?
Keep in mind, this clown is constantly circling the globe in his wife’s private jet, telling all of US we need… pic.twitter.com/gviHG1K8CY
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 26, 2024
Kerry said that it was America’s responsibility to pay for energy infrastructure in Africa because the U.S. is the world’s leading economy.
“People in Africa who don’t have electricity need to choose the right kind of electricity and we need to help them be able to afford it and do it,” he said. “We have the largest economy in the world — $24 trillion or $23 trillion economy, maybe more by now.”
“The next closest is China at about $18 trillion,” Kerry continued. “And, the next closest to the two of us — Germany and Japan at $4 trillion. That’s how far it drops down. You don’t think we have some sort of obligation out of that to be responsible? I think we do.”
Kerry insisted that the U.S. needs to lead the way “to make it happen,” saying that nobody exists in isolation on this planet.
“And no one country has enough money to deal with the climate crisis,” he added.
Kerry’s Record of “Do As I Say” Leadership
If Kerry’s call for collective sacrifice sounds rich, it’s probably because his personal actions have often seemed at odds with his messaging. For instance, back in 2021, Kerry defended his use of a private jet—one of the most carbon-intensive ways to travel—by claiming it was “the only choice for somebody like me” while accepting an environmental award in Iceland.
This raises an important question: How can Americans take climate directives seriously when the loudest voices for change are often exempting themselves from the same rules? Whether it’s private jets or sprawling estates with hefty carbon footprints, the optics aren’t exactly inspiring.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Republican Standard.
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