WATCH: RFK Jr. Explains How Climate Has Become A Tool For Authoritarians ‘Like COVID’

In an interview released on Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the 2024 Presidential candidate, expressed his concerns about the exploitation of climate change as a tool for imposing authoritarian control, likening it to the manipulation witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While speaking on the show “Talking Points,” Kennedy stressed the need for an alternative approach that safeguards against both climate change and the encroachment of totalitarianism.

He stated, “In my campaign, I’m not going to be talking a lot about climate. Why is that? Because climate has become a crisis like COVID that the Davos group and other totalitarian elements in our society have used as a pretext for clamping down totalitarian controls.”

He urged for caution and emphasized the importance of avoiding the very outcome of totalitarianism that he feared. While acknowledging the challenge of persuading climate change skeptics with scientific evidence, Kennedy remarked, “I’ve always been cautious about leaning on scientific evidence for climate because the reason is it’s not persuasive to people who don’t want to believe it.”

He also highlighted the affinity that Republicans, and many others, have for the environment and the need to address concerns that resonate with them.

Kennedy stated, “They love the environment… most Republicans love the environment. If you tell them you, you know, ‘You’re gonna protect this place? This sacred place, your backyard, the water for your children, you’re gonna protect the toxicity?’ They’re all in. It should not be a divisive issue. The environment should not be a divisive issue.”

Kennedy also emphasized the interconnectedness of various global challenges, stating, “All the things we need to do to avert climate change, we ought to be doing anyway to avert war. You know, the oil wars that have cost us $8 trillion since 2002, the poisoning of every fish in America, the toxicity to our children, the asthma attacks, the ozone particulates, the sterilizing of the lakes on the Appalachian.” He emphasized that these issues concern everyone and present an opportunity for consensus and collective action.

FULL INTERVIEW:

Kennedy Jr. has a long history of involvement in environmental and climate-related issues. As an environmental lawyer and activist, he has been a vocal advocate for addressing climate change and promoting sustainable practices. Kennedy has focused on raising awareness about the environmental consequences of human activities and the need for urgent action to mitigate climate change.

The Democrat has also been involved in various environmental organizations and initiatives throughout his career. He co-founded the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global movement dedicated to protecting water bodies from pollution and ensuring clean water for communities. He has also served as a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, a prominent environmental advocacy group.

In addition to his work on specific environmental issues, Kennedy has been an outspoken critic of the fossil fuel industry and its impact on climate change. He has called for transitioning to cleaner and renewable energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.