Michael Bloomberg Comes Out Fighting For The Climate On Colbert Show

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It seems like Stephen Colbert’s late show is becoming the forum of choice for heavyweight public figures to voice their concerns about climate change. Recently we had Bernie Sanders using an appearance on the show to urge a transformation from fossil fuel to clean energy, and now former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has used his airtime on the show to raise the issue of global warming.

In a sense both Sanders and Bloomberg are carrying the torch that was lit by former presidential candidate Al Gore. While Bloomberg himself never actually ran for the presidency, he was frequently mentioned as a potential candidate. If any of these three men had taken the seat in the oval office, there is a strong chance the policies of the US on climate change would be very different. One thing is for sure, if Michael Bloomberg was in charge then there would be no talk of pulling out of the Paris Agreement. On the show, Bloomberg pledged that “we are going to meet our goals that we agreed to in Paris even without the federal government.” That’s a very strong statement of intent.

Bloomberg backs the science

Unlike Trump, Bloomberg readily acknowledges the evidence for climate change, saying in the interview: “The science says things are getting warmer, and they will continue to get warmer unless we reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. The federal government has decided to do nothing; citizens — companies, individuals, local governments — have said, ‘ok, we’re going to take it into our own hands.'” He also links the increasing number of storms to climate change, and points out that we can expect more of them in the future as the oceans get warmer.

The billionaire philanthropist is pushing the debate from an informed position. He has just released a new book, ‘Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet’, on which he collaborated with Carl Pope, former chairman of the Sierra Club, and is calling on everyone from individuals to big companies to do their part.

Imagine what the world might be like if Gore and Bloomberg were in government together. We would definitely be heading in a cleaner, greener direction. It’s heartening that they are both now actively using their positions to raise awareness of and tackle global warming. Let’s hope that others in positions of political power pick up their mantel.

See the full interview below: