Paul McCartney is speaking out against President Trump and calling him out for not making climate change a priority.
During a recent interview with BBC’s Radio 1 Newsbeat, the former Beatle said Trump’s opposition to climate change is “madness.”
McCartney, who has been a longtime advocate for vegetarianism and environmental activism, is currently promoting a new short film called “One Day a Week,” which urges people to live one day a week without eating any animal products in an effort to help the environment. The film is connected to McCartney’s foundation, Meat Free Monday, which aims to raise awareness of the “detrimental environmental impact of eating meat.”
“It’s not the total solution, but it’s part of the solution,” McCartney told Radio 1 Newsbeat. “A lot of people have been saying this for a long time but there’s resistance,” he added.
“Particularly when you’ve got someone like Trump who says that it [climate change] is just a hoax. A lot of people like myself think that’s just madness so it’s maybe a good time now to try and focus people’s attention and say ‘look, forget about him we can do something’.”
McCartney accused President Trump of thwarting “a lot of the advances that have been made” to support the environment.
In June, President Trump announced his plans to pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, saying it is “very unfair at the highest level to the United States.” Trump adds, “The Paris accord will undermine our economy” and it “puts us at a permanent disadvantage.”
President Trump, on at least one occasion, has gone as far as to say global warming was created by the Chinese and believes it’s a hoax.
In 2012, Trump tweeted “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012
In 2013 and 2014 he’s referred to global warming as a total, and very expensive hoax” on Twitter.
Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee – I’m in Los Angeles and it’s freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2013
NBC News just called it the great freeze – coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2014
Paul McCartney’s short film was released just ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, which will take place November 6 – 17 in Bonn, Germany.
Paul McCartney “One Day A Week” campaign