What Did Pete Buttgieg Just Say About Adopting Non-White Kids?
Two Former CNN Hosts Interviewed Each Other on a Podcast. What They Discussed...
Trump Wanted Proof to Vote—A Judge Had Other Plans
This State Is Paving the Road With Ambiguity to Effectively Legalize Infanticide
Vance's Vatican Visit Brings Nonviable Reporting, and More 'Fatherly' Evidence From Abrego...
Woke Prosecutor Under Fire for Who She Went After and Who She DIDN'T
State Department ‘Target-Rich’ for Cuts, WH Deputy Press Secretary Says
For Real?! Tim Walz Is Still Going After Elon Musk, Donald Trump
While Congressional Democrats Were In El Salvador, Bernie Moreno Went to Israel
Judge Rules Against Trump Administration Withholding Funds Over DEI
With Durbin Not Running for Reelection, Is This Top Democrat Next to Retire?
It Sure Looks Like the DNC May Have Had Enough of David Hogg's...
California Ready for Red Wave, Steve Hilton Says
Jasmine Crockett's Appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Leaves Us With More Questions Than...
Excellent: Youngkin, Virginia Just Made a Great Move for Kids in Schools
Tipsheet

Obama To Vietnamese Youth: Tackle Climate Change

At the end of his four-day tour of Vietnam, President Barack Obama told a gathering of young people that they should tackle the issue of climate change, complimenting them for their environmentally-conscious attitudes.

Advertisement

Obama answered questions from members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative at a town hall event in Ho Chi Minh City. YSEALI is “Obama’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia,” according to its website.

In response to a question about the preservation of a Vietnamese cave, Obama lectured the group about the environmental issues facing the country, something he has made a focus of his presidency. “He said Vietnam will be one of the countries most affected by the trend of warming temperatures and rising seas,” AP reported.

“That could have a huge impact on Vietnam's ability to feed its people, on fishermen, on farmers, and it could be a really big problem if we don't do something about it, so it's going to be up to you to start,” Obama said.

He added, "One of the great things about your generation is that you're already much more conscious about the environment than my generation was or previous generations were.”

This commentary comes two days after Obama lifted the decades-long weapons embargo on the communist country. The decision angered critics, among them Vietnam War veterans. “Obama defended the decision to lift the arms ban despite Vietnam's dismal record on human rights -- involving the jailing of dissidents and stalled political reforms -- saying sales would be evaluated on a ‘case-by-case’ basis,” CNN reported.

Advertisement

The U.S. Agency for International Development has said rising ocean levels, caused by the melting of polar ice caps, will drastically impact low-lying Vietnam. Public Radio International reported that some also worry about salt water intruding the country’s many rice paddies.

“Vietnam is also one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change," according to USAID. "A one-meter rise in sea-level will inundate approximately 9 percent of Vietnam’s territory, directly affecting an even larger percentage of the nation’s population, with economic damages costing 10 percent of the gross domestic product.”

It is curious Obama chose to focus on climate change in Vietnam, as the country is arguably dealing with much more important issues. The Heritage Foundation labels Vietnam as “mostly unfree,” writing, “the Socialist Republic of Vietnam remains a Communist dictatorship characterized by political repression and an absence of civil liberties.”

Obama continued his tour of Asia in Japan Wednesday, where he will be the first sitting visit U.S. president to visit Hiroshima.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement