Jerry Brown is in Russia to talk about the climate
In remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Brown cautioned against “getting absorbed in the controversies of the moment, the difficulties of today or even next week,” and instead urged leaders to work together on climate change and on upholding the U.N. Paris Agreement.
“The world has never had more power or more danger — or more opportunity if we can work together,” he said at the opening of the conference, which had attendees from Japan, South Korea, China and Russia, among other countries.
“Trade will not be sustainable if it attempts to violate forever the rules of nature,” Brown continued. “Ninety-seven percent of the world’s scientists tell us climate change is occurring, that it will have catastrophic impacts. Yes, there will be some positives, but the increase in heat will cause migrations of millions, tens of millions of people and widespread suffering if we cannot make the Paris Agreement real.”
Brown, who was named a special adviser for states and regions to the upcoming U.N. talks in Bonn, Germany, touted California’s ties to Russia, which date back to the early 1800s, when Russians settled parts of Northern California. “Russia was in California before America was in California,” he said.
“If we can raise our thinking and lift our eyes to a future that is inclusive, that is innovative and that takes into account the science that we all know, then we will converge and we can look to a very bright future, not only in the Pacific but everywhere in the world,” he said.
Brown is in Russia for talks on trade between Russia, China, Japan and the United States. He stopped last week to meet with climate researchers and Native Alaskans in Nome, Alaska, where his communications staff tweeted, “#climatechange is no hoax in Nome.”
He is slated to lead a discussion today on climate change at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok.