A BBC Reporter Tried to Lecture the President of Guyana on Climate Change. It Didn't Go Well.

A BBC reporter tried to shame the president of Guyana about having resources that could improve his nation’s economy and the quality of life of his people because it would increase carbon emissions. It was a gross attempt to toss in a lecture about global warming, which President Mohamed Irfaan Ali had zero patience for and proceeded to shred the reporter into oblivion. The viral clip resurfaced recently, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch

Reporters who embody such condescension and snobbery should be chopped at the knees. Mr. Ali also appears to have been prepared for this line of questioning, as he rolled out facts of his own, pointing out that the developed world is a world-class hypocrite on the environment and natural resource conservation.

Stephen Sackur, the BBC reporter who got roasted by Mr. Ali, had his entire spot blown up by the fact that Guyana’s rainforest will be able to absorb any alleged carbon output from their projects to tap into the oil reserves off their coast (via Fox News):

A must watch!

This is my hero!

He is Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana. #Oil #Guyana pic.twitter.com/j0KAwRwWgr
— Anas Alhajji (@anasalhajji) March 29, 2024

As Sackur implied that Guyana was in the wrong for doing so, asking the leader if he has "the right" to drill, an animated President Ali put his hand up and cut him off, asking, "Does that give you the right to lecture us on climate change?"
[…]
Sackur followed up with criticism, saying, "But think of it in practical terms: that means, according to many experts, more than two billion tons of carbon emissions will come from your seabed, from those reserves and be released into the atmosphere."
As the reporter began asking the head of state whether he attended a recent international climate conference, the president held up his hand and said, "Let me stop you right there. Let me stop you right there."
The president proceeded to turn the tables on the reporter, defending his country’s record of taking care of the environment and later accusing western countries of hurting it.
"Do you know that Guyana has a forest, forever, that is the size of England and Scotland combined? A forest that stores 19.5 gigatons of carbon, a forest that we have kept alive, a forest that we have kept alive?"
[…]
After claiming that his county has the "lowest deforestation rate in the world" and that even with the drilling, it will have "net-zero" emissions," he accused western nations of being hypocritical on the environmental issues.
Despite Sackur trying to cut back in, Ali continued to speak, "I am just not finished just yet, because this is a hypocrisy that exists in the world. The world, in the last 50 years has lost 65 percent of all its biodiversity. We have kept our biodiversity. Are you valuing it? Are you ready to pay for it? When is the developed world is going to pay for it or are you in their pockets?"
The president continued peppering the BBC man with questions, "Are you in the pockets of those who have damaged the environment? Are you in the pockets – Are you and your system in the pockets of those who destroy the environment through the industrial revolution and now lecturing us? Are you in their pockets? Are you paid by them?"