Kerry On Making The Climate Argument: ‘Mother Nature’s Doing That Job Very, Very Effectively’

(CNSNews.com) – U.S. special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry expressed regret this week that opposition in Congress has stymied climate legislation, but said it wasn’t necessary for President Biden or himself to make the argument about the effects of climate change, as “Mother Nature’s doing that job very, very effectively.”

“We are moving forward but we’re not making enough progress and we’re not moving forward fast enough,” Kerry told the BBC. “So we are behind where we need to be to avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis.”

“And I think everybody – in Europe, the United States, around the world – are feeling the early parts of that, of those consequences,” he added, alluding to record-breaking summer heatwaves and wildfires.

The interviewer recalled that Biden said at the 2021 U.N. climate conference in Glasgow that the U.S. would ramp up funding to help developing countries tackle climate change, lifting its annual contribution to $11 billion by 2024.

“Now, because of congressional opposition, he’s only been able to produce about a billion of that so far,” he said.

“Yes,” agreed Kerry. “It is less than ideal not to have the entire Congress full-throatedly adopting some of the measures that need to be taken, so that the world can see a very united United States moving in this direction.”

“I regret that that’s not where we are right now.”

But, Kerry continued, “this is not something where he or I or others have to struggle to get people to understand what’s happening. Let me tell you: Mother Nature’s doing that job very, very effectively.”

Kerry said that among those aged 30 and under, “this is already the number one issue – and it should be, because it’s existential, it’s about life itself.”

“And we’re seeing the consequences of not doing it.”

Last week, Biden announced a $2.3 billion package of measures including helping families pay for cooling costs and expanding flood controls.

He called it the biggest investment ever “to help communities across the country build infrastructure that is designed to withstand the full range of disasters we’ve been seeing up to today – extreme heat, drought, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes.”

Biden stopped short of declaring a federal climate “emergency,” as some are pushing for. Doing so would allow him to take more far-reaching – and controversial – measures, such as banning the export of crude oil, or new offshore oil and gas drilling.

Kerry said the president was prepared to use “every tool available to him,” including executive orders.

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