If the UN’s report on global warming didn’t send you into apoplectic shock, you may want to buy a blood pressure monitor. That way you can tell if you have a pulse.
In short, the report said, global warming will kick into lethal high gear in 12 years. So you’ll likely be around for it. Your children, however, may not; given the U.S.’ recent rejection of science, there’s no indication we have any interest in slowing the train to oblivion.
Which leads to the question: Given our president’s disdain for science and the UN, why don’t they punch back and recognize America for what it really is: an intellectual third-world nation.
For instance, I’d be fascinated to see a UN climate study that excludes the U.S. Just assume Trumpanzees will continue to worship coal and hairspray. What if much larger nations — India, China, Indonesia, for starters — took the problem seriously and acted on it? What if, instead of simply measuring worldwide economies (which the U.S. dominates), the UN measured stupidity in taking countries into account?
Turns out they did. In 2015, the UN defined 17 goals for any country claiming to desire complete, sustainable development. The goals range from ending poverty, to gender equality, to environmental preservation. The next year, a worldwide study was released.
And the U.S. report card from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ain’t pretty.
USA! USA!
Poverty
Food security and nutrition
Health
Education
Gender equality
The US is also, with Lesotho, one of only two countries in the world that do not mandate paid maternity leave.
