U.S. “Climate Czar” John Kerry has been roundly mocked for comments he made on Tuesday, suggesting that the world community would perhaps have a more favorable opinion of Russia and their war in Ukraine if they would just cut emissions to help save the planet.
“Maybe that would open up the door for people to feel better about what Russia is choosing to do at this point in time,” he said.
Speaking on the last day of his role as “climate envoy,” Kerry pointed out that Russia is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses in the world.
The incredibly tone-deaf remark from the 80-year-old Democrat political veteran evoked outrage and ridicule from many quarters. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said, “At this point, the Biden admin is like a continuous SNL skit.”
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also reacted, saying, “Sick. Dangerous. And totally immoral to suggest you can conduct wars of aggression in Europe so long as you support the green agenda. Team Biden’s globalist faith sacrifices European lives on the altar of climate extremism.”
John Kerry says people would 'feel better' about the war in Ukraine if Russia would 'make a greater effort to reduce emissions'
A failed Secretary of State
A failed “climate envoy” pic.twitter.com/TmfZ4spIri
— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) March 6, 2024
For fair context, Kerry’s comments came after he was asked by a Russian reporter about the U.S. relationship with Russia in regard to the agenda to combat climate change. However, considering that hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded on both sides of the current Ukrainian conflict, the topic is a very sensitive issue for many, especially as the war continues with no sure end in sight.
However, this is not the first time Kerry has used the war in Ukraine as a jumping board to talk about climate issues. In a July 2023 interview with MSNBC, Kerry said that one of the main negative consequences of the war was the increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
“Lots of parts of the world are exacerbating the problem right now, but when you have bombs going off, and you have damage to septic tanks or to power centers, etcetera, you have an enormous release of greenhouse gas, methane, all of the family of greenhouse gasses and the result is it’s adding to the problem,” he said.
Although Kerry’s concerns about global warming echo the fears of the movement to combat climate change, it is clear that the context of his remarks has struck a nerve with many in the midst of a war that threatens to spiral out of control.
