7 years ago
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Michael Bloomberg ‘to write $4.5m cheque to cover US commitment to Paris climate agreement’
Billionaire former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg has said he will write a $4.5m cheque to cover the US’s financial commitment to the Paris Climate agreement for 2018. Donald Trump pulled the US out of the climate pact last year, saying it was a “terrible deal” which would “undermine” the economy and put the US at a “permanent disadvantage”.
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My understanding of the deal we announced under Obama was for $3bn by 2020, with us giving $1bn up front. Now it's great Bloomberg wants to contribute since the US Government doesn't, but, claiming that his $4.5mn covers our contributions for 2018 is disingenuous, $1bn is our contribution. So the question to me is, does he have an ulterior motive whether it be to prod other billionaires to help out or is he running for office? Now it's possible he's doing it because it's important to him as well, but to do it with such fanfare makes me question it.
I try not to get worked up about other people's messiah complexes, but especially when they do it on their dime. I mean, if there's a thing where billionaires figure having cubic money gives them their superpowers, that's not up to me. There'll be those that use their powers for good — cosmic, history-changing, massive, absolute good — and then there'll be most of them, and then I suppose there'll be supervillains as well. You know, the kind that go long on Monsanto and harness the power of genetically-engineered mosquitoes to do their bidding whilst their maniacal cackling reverberates evilly throughout their subterranean lair.
Not up to me. But Bloomberg's underwriting the Paris agreement seems more like civics than ego trip. If that were walking-around money for me, I'd kick it in. Can't hurt. This habitat's shot. We're doomed. This check, no matter how comically huge it will be when presented before the media, isn't going to avert the judgment by Mother Nature we as a species have already earned. The worst case being the actual case, what's money for?
No, there's not going to be any technological fix for what we've already done to the Earth. No, this isn't the most important election ever because somehow there's still time to avert climate change. We're here now, and surprise! What you've got on hand is all you have for what we're in for. Bloomberg won't be the last one to realize money can't save them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c
I so wish I could be as even keeled as him.