In Paris, Gov. Brown Talks Climate Change, Fires

California Gov. Jerry Brown is in Paris, lobbying for action to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

At an event marking the second anniversary of the Paris climate accord, Brown lamented President Trump’s call to withdraw from the agreement.

“Time is running out, and we can’t wait for all the national leaders. We need them, but we don’t have them in every case,” the governor said. “We have a climate denier in the White House, who says climate change is a hoax—no evidence, a total fantasy, but there it is.”

Brown is lobbying cities and states to take action themselves, in lieu of the federal government, including through an alliance of sub-national governments that have pledged to cut emissions.

The trip comes days after the governor toured Ventura County, the site of major wildfires in Southern California. The governor linked his two latest trips.

“The fires you’ve seen on television, and which people experience in California now as we speak, are what we can expect, and expect a lot more of,” he said.

Scientists project climate change will continue to exacerbate natural disasters.

The visit to Europe is Brown’s second in as many months. He traveled to the Vatican, Brussels, Oslo and Bonn, Germany last month for the United Nations climate conference. He’s also visited Russia, China and Canada this year on climate change missions.