Climate scientist Hans Joachim Schellnhuber warned that the United States is on a trajectory to fall behind as a leading science country under the Trump administration. In an interview with the “Frankfurter Rundschau” (Thursday edition) he said, “You are literally committing suicide as a future‑proof nation”.
He argued that for decades the U.S. has benefited most from scientific‑technological progress, but now that progress appears to be moving toward privatization. Schellnhuber is also concerned about the intensified return to fossil‑fuel dependence. “The focus is on profits for large shareholders while the public is being misled about the climate consequences” he explained. He noted that while Trump’s return to ‘superstition’ may not succeed in the long run, it currently satisfies his voter base. Schellnhuber compared this to a scenario where Trump could convince supporters that “the Earth is a flat disc-or a giant Big Mac”.
Looking ahead, Schellnhuber predicts that China will become the world’s top science nation within the next ten years. “The country is investing massively in renewable energy, storage technologies, artificial intelligence, and other disruptive, commercially viable and sustainable innovations” he emphasized. In doing so, China is set to assume a role that the U.S. could have played in the post‑World War II era.
For the European Union, Schellnhuber sees both challenges and opportunities. He urged the EU to distance itself from the U.S. and to deepen cooperation with China-“not without critically assessing what is happening there”. Simultaneously, he believes Europe could forge a new independent sphere of influence by partnering with emerging African nations and become a world leader in several innovative sectors, including climate‑friendly construction, smart grid management, systemic energy storage, biodegradable polymers, bio‑based composites, regenerative land use, and sustainable food systems.
