Pharrell sounds warning about climate change

Pharrell Williams is using music to sound the warning about climate change. The Grammy-winning musician appeared in Shanghai this week to debut a song titled 100 Years, which he described as “a postcard, a sarcastic one, to the people who should be ashamed to call themselves scientists and politicians.”

The song addresses those who deny climate change. “I thought, ‘Let me just troll all the pseudoscientists, the ones that don’t care about the ecosystem,’” he said. “There are a lot of great fine scientists. We just happen to have some that agree with our current administration in the States. I don’t get it.”

President Donald Trump’s administration has downplayed man’s role in climate change and has announced plans to pull out of the landmark Paris climate accord, which was agreed to by President Barack Obama’s administration.

However, the targets of Williams’ song most likely won’t hear it: The song, a collaboration with the cognac brand Louis XIII, won’t be released for 100 years. Williams spoke to a group of reporters and celebrities, many of whom had been flown to Shanghai for the event. Actors Jesse Williams and Zhao Wei were among those present.

In an earlier interview, Williams struck a mostly optimistic tone, saying young people in particular make him hopeful for the planet’s future. “I don’t even know if the new generation needs a message. This new generation cares about others. They believe in sharing for the greater good,” he said. “I think the world would be a different place if millennials and women would take positions of power. It would definitely be different.” —AP