France’s response to Trump may make it a climate science hub

Enlarge (credit: US State Department)

Most world leaders reacted with horror to President Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accords. French President Emmanuel Macron responded with what was largely considered a troll: a short address in which he invites scientists and entrepreneurs to move to France and "make our planet great again." But it turned out to be more than just a troll; France has put research funding on the table and has apparently been drawing lots of interest from scientists.

Macron's invitation was more than simply a troll from the start. It involved Business France, a government agency that's dedicated to promoting French businesses overseas. The organization put together a Make Our Planet Great Again website, in which it declared "France has always led fights for human rights. Today, more than ever, we are determined to lead (and win!) this battle on climate change."

If you follow the link that indicates you want to contribute to planetary greatness, it takes you to a short survey that seems to indicate France is looking for entrepreneurs, students, teachers, and researchers. (You can also apparently be an NGO or "other" and complete the survey.)