In an outrageous move, nearly 100,000 trees have been cut from the Amazon rainforest to make way for leaders and activists attending the global climate summit.
Brazilian authorities wiped out trees across an eight mile stretch of the rainforest to make a “four-lane” highway for 50,000 activists, journalists and politicians attending the summit in Belem, Brazil.
United States President Donald Trump, who has long dismissed climate change as a hoax, slammed the cutting of trees from ancient rainforests for COP30.
Taking to his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “They ripped the hell out of the Rainforest of Brazil to build a four-lane highway for Environmentalists to travel. It’s become a big scandal.”
Though, US is not participating in the event officially, several high-profile figures including California Governor Gavin Newsom, will be attending the summit.
White House said that the US will not pursue vague climate goals that are killing other countries.
The Amazon rainforest is often called “Lungs of the Earth” because of absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Cutting over 100,000 trees will decrease its carbon-absorbing capacity that could worsen global warming.
The irony is that world leaders are gathering to formulate a plan to lower emissions while simultaneously causing environmental damage in the process.
Several activists and social media users have erupted in anger over the development.
Mike Hudema, a climate activist from Canada, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “If you are cutting one of the world’s greatest climate solutions, you can never call yourself a climate activist.”