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Climate scenarios that offer no reassurance (despite climate skeptics)
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Environment & Climate

Climate scenarios that offer no reassurance (despite climate skeptics)

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized climate change projections, calling UN climate committee data false and accusing Democrats of using climate activism for political gain.
  • The article notes that while an extreme climate scenario (RCP8.5) was revised, the most virtuous scenario limiting warming to 1.5°C was also withdrawn.
  • This development has sparked debate, with some observers questioning the media's coverage of the revised climate models.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump ignited a debate on climate change projections with a strong statement on his Truth Social network. He declared the UN climate committee's projections, specifically RCP8.5, to be false, accusing Democrats of exploiting climate activism to scare Americans and push unfavorable energy policies.

GOOD RIDDANCE! After 15 years during which Democrats have never stopped promising that climate change would destroy the planet, the United Nations climate committee [the IPCC, ed.] has just admitted that its own projections (RCP8.5) were FALSE! FALSE! FALSE!

— Donald TrumpCriticizing the UN climate committee's projections on his social media network.

Trump asserted that his administration would prioritize truth, science, and facts, contrasting this with what he termed the Democrats' "NEW GREEN SCAM." His remarks followed the revision of climate models by the UN's climate panel, a move that has generated significant commentary, including sarcastic reactions on social media and in opinion columns.

For too long, Climate Activism has been used by Democrats to scare Americans, impose horrible energy policies, and inject BILLIONS into their bogus research programs.

— Donald TrumpAccusing Democrats of exploiting climate change for political and financial gain.

While Trump focused on the retraction of the RCP8.5 scenario, the article highlights a crucial detail: the withdrawal of the most optimistic climate model. This scenario was the only one credibly projecting global warming to stay below 1.5°C since the industrial revolution. The revision thus removes both the most extreme and the most hopeful projections from the panel's toolkit.

Unlike Democrats, who use the absurdities of Climate Activism to impose their NEW GREEN SCAM, my administration will always rely on TRUTH, SCIENCE, and FACTS!

— Donald TrumpContrasting his approach with that of the Democrats regarding climate policy.

This nuanced situation has led to questions about media coverage. Marie-Hélène Miauton, a columnist for Le Temps, expressed surprise that the press had not widely reported this "good climate news," referring to the revision of the extreme scenario. However, the article points out that few observers have noted the simultaneous removal of the most ambitious mitigation pathway, leaving a gap in credible projections for limiting warming.

our columnist Marie-Hélène Miauton expressed surprise a few days ago that the press had not relayed this 'good climate news,' namely the abandonment of the most extreme scenario in future projections.

— Le Temps articleReferencing a columnist's observation on media coverage of revised climate models.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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