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U.S. President Returning Home After Visit To War Zone; HK Protesters Throw Rally To Celebrate U.S. Support; China Overtakes U.S. As Top Diplomatic Power; P.M. Orders Investigation Into Deadly Protests; Tens Of Thousands Take Part In Anti-Govt Demonstrations; Kurds Accuse Turkey of Targeting Medical Teams During Incursion; Report Warning: Earth Heading Toward "Tipping Point"; Trump Tweets Doctored Image of His Face on Rocky's Body. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 29, 2019 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[01:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello everyone. Welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. And coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, Turkey and the Taliban, the U.S. President surprises troops in Afghanistan for Thanksgiving and says talks with the militant group are back on.

Hong Kong braces for weekend demonstrations as police finally clear the university campus seized by pro-democracy protesters. And a controversial verdict in a U.K. court, the Hillsborough police chief charged over the deaths of 95 soccer fans cleared of all charges.

U.S. President Donald Trump flying back to the U.S. right now after making an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Thursday under extraordinary secrecy. At Bagram Air Base, the President said that peace talks with the Taliban had restarted.

Just last September, you might remember, he abruptly pulled the plug on those same talks. Here's how he broke the news to American forces.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Taliban wants to make a deal. We'll see if they want to make a deal. It's got to be a real deal, but we'll see. But they want to make a deal. And they only want to make a deal because you're doing a great job. That's the only reason they want to make a deal. So I want to thank you and I want to thank the Afghan soldiers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The President also pitched in to serve some Thanksgiving meals to some of the men and women in uniform. It's worth noticing -- noting rather, that U.S. forces have been in Afghanistan now for 18 years. And this was President Trump's second visit to a war zone, his first to Afghanistan since taking office. As our Kaitlan Collins explains the White House took extra measures to keep this trip a secret until just before Mr. Trump returned home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump is now on his way back to the United States after making that unannounced trip to Afghanistan. He left Florida late Wednesday night, flew to Washington where he boarded another plane that was not on the tarmac as it normally is when the President gets on, but instead it was tucked away in a hangar. When the President got on, they turned the lights off, and they drew the shades so there wouldn't be any suspicions or any potential spottings as the President made his way over.

Now, while he was on the ground in Afghanistan, he met with U.S. troops, served them Thanksgiving lunch, and even made some news after sitting down with the president of Afghanistan, announcing that those peace talks with the Taliban that just less than three months ago Trump scrapped, are now back on.

The President says those negotiations are going forward. He believes the Taliban could potentially be open to a ceasefire which would be nowhere they give them that was a big sticking point the last time around when the President cancel those talks abruptly after there was that Taliban attack that left one U.S. soldier dead, even though Taliban leaders were pretty close to coming to United Meeting with Trump at Camp David.

Now, the White House did a pretty good job of keeping this trip under wraps. There weren't any potential spottings or questions about the President's whereabouts. And they went so far to keep those suspicions at bay, that they even scheduled tweets to come out of Trump's Twitter account so there wouldn't be any questions about where he was. Kaitlan Collins, CNN West, Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And journalist Zakarya Hassani join me now from the Afghan capital. And thanks for your time. You know, the interesting thing with Donald Trump, there was no real detail other than what we heard him say in that clip that the Taliban wants a deal. But you're there on the ground, what evidence is there of that? Is there a Taliban willingness to agree to a ceasefire?

ZAKARIA HASSANI, JOURNALIST: Well, actually, it was stated that it was a surprise to Afghanistan's president, Trump's surprise visit. Actually, this have been a surprise to Afghanistan and Afghan people as well. He, he actually was in Afghanistan almost at midnight time. And announcing their assumption of talks with the Taliban has been considered in Afghanistan as a very important news as a very important development in terms of talk and in terms of putting an end to the Afghan conflict.

We have -- up to now, we have not seen a clear sign of, you know, putting an end to Afghan war or the Taliban that actually they are willing to, you know, put their guns aside and come to the negotiation table and you know, start peace talks with the Afghan government -- Afghan officers or whether with the United States officers.

What I can say right now from the Afghan people's perspective is that still the perspective is very deem, the perspective of the state is very deemed and they have not yet seen any clear sign of ceasefire or, you know, peace in Afghanistan.

[01:05:15]

HOLMES: The Taliban, you know, in many ways on the battlefield, they are the ones in a position of strength and they are patient. Donald Trump has already announced the withdrawal or a drawdown. So where's the leverage? What's in it for the Taliban? They are very patient; they could just wait it out.

HASSANI: Actually, one of the reasons that the previous talks wasn't successful is that, as you said, it is the tall one who talks you know from the position of the power. They have the levers to control (AUDIO GAP). So right now, you know, the situation is the same, and the -- at the same time as the war in the past.

And (INAUDIBLE) the Taliban is willing to accept a ceasefire and they would come accept an invitation. But again, (INAUDIBLE) in Afghanistan, besides that you're dealing with the -- with the war and the defining in the battlefield, they also face a bit of deceit that Afghanistan is right now in a really, you know, controversial political juncture.

Our leaders and the top officers of Afghan government is right now, you know, they have some kind of, you know, opposition with each other. They're opposing each other, even conferences within the Afghan officers and even the political leaders. So considering these issues, I think still Taliban had an upper hand in talks.

But the only hope is that with no pressure from the United States as the cancelation of the talks by President Trump actually put that pressure on the Taliban. And also, we hope that the United States puts more pressure on the Taliban (INAUDIBLE). And the Taliban -- and the United States and the Afghanistan government which has more pressure on the Taliban finally delivers in the upper hand in the talks.

But right now, the situation is quite the same as it was in the past. The Taliban is still talking about the position of the power and they have actually -- it seems that they have the upper hand of the talks.

HOLMES: But until the talks has not start, we cannot say whether it will be a successful talk or not.

HOLMES: Zakarya Hassani Kabul, I appreciate your time. Thanks so much. It's a difficult line but I really appreciate you spending some time and giving us your thoughts. All right, North Korea says it has tested what it calls a super large multiple launch rocket system.

South Korea says to projectiles will launch. This is the 13th launch since May. Leader Kim Jong-un inspected the test firing and said it was a success. The U.S. though, condemning the launch. It's calling on North Korea to "avoid provocations, abide by obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions and return to sustained and substantive negotiations to do its part to achieve complete denuclearization." None of that has happened, of course.

Hong Kong braces for more pro-democracy protest as police finish, we think Polytechnic University. They've handed the campus back to university management after protesters occupied it for two weeks. Police say they found thousands of petrol bombs and various bits of explosive devices.

Meanwhile, protesters celebrating after President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting their movement, but China accuses the U.S. of backing violent criminals. Will Ripley with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The competing images that we saw within hours of each other here in Hong Kong illustrates the deep division that exists in this city between the vast majority of citizens and the Hong Kong government and, of course, the Beijing government as well.

You had thousands of people out in central Hong Kong waving American flags, thanking the United States and President Trump for passing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act which could potentially result in not only sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials involved in human rights abuses, but it also crucially requires the State Department to review Hong Kong's highly coveted and hugely important special trade status.

If that were to be revoked, it would be devastating for this territory's economy for the mainland as well. And it would also hurt the United States, frankly. And so some of the people who are out there thanking the U.S. for passing this bill could someday actually be hurt by it. And yet that doesn't stop them from thanking the U.S. for supporting the pro-democracy movement.

[01:10:06]

It's the second time in less than a week that the pro-democracy movement has scored a victory because there was that landslide win in the district council elections where more than 90 percent of the votes and a record high turnout went to anti-establishment candidates.

But despite all that, despite the overwhelming public opinion, you have Carrie Lam, the chief executive and establishment lawmakers firmly in line with Beijing's view that the protesters are in fact rioters. And as proof of that they offered up images from PolyU. They allowed the press to join police where they went in to take away the weapons that they say protesters were storing at that university including 600 petrol bombs that were thrown at police, you know, that used in these confrontations.

The police claim it's the protesters that incite the violence. Protesters claimed that police respond with disproportionate and excessive force against unarmed civilians. But Beijing asking the United States, why would they support a movement that engages in regular violence? And that's the big debate and the big divide here in Hong Kong. And for the moment, it really doesn't show any sign of bringing these two sides closer together.

And on top of all of it, of course, you have these highly sensitive trade talks happening between Washington and Beijing. And now the big question is, will any deal be in jeopardy potentially because of these new developments and because President Trump decided to sign this bill into law. Will Ripley CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Joshua Wong, says the new U.S. law shows China that America places a priority on human rights over economic interest. Here's what he told my colleague Cyril Vanier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA WONG, ACTIVIST: We are aware actions speak louder than words, at least how President Trump during the trade war promise and sign on a bill 24 hours ago. It already sent a clear signal to Beijing they can Ignore the voice of Hong Kong people.

We have continued to ask for and demanding the U.S. Congress and administration to pass and sign on the bill. And we hope the administration on 2020 before the U.S. presidential election can launch and to implement the sanction mechanism to sanction riot police and government official with the abuse of power in Hong Kong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right, there is no indication President Trump intends to enact any of the powers in that law anytime soon. Well, it's no secret that President Trump's America first policy has blunted U.S. influence around the world and other nations have vaguely picked up the slack.

China has been particularly aggressive in making inroads and some analysts now rank it as the world's top diplomatic power. Lowy Institute an Australian think tank has found that China has set up more diplomatic posts than any other country. Those embassies and consulates are instrumental in promoting Beijing's financial and political interests all around the globe.

Herve Lemahieu joins me now from Sydney to talk more about this. He's the Director of the Lowy Institute's Asian Power and Diplomacy Program. So tell us why this matters. What advantages does it give China not just diplomatic, but importantly, economically?

HERVE LEMAHIEU, DIRECTOR, ASIAN POWER AND DIPLOMACY PROGRAM, LOWY INSTITUTE: Look, it matters greatly. We've been tracking this since 2011. It wasn't that long ago, that China was still trailing the United States by about 23 posts globally. I should say, we look at not only at embassies, but also prominent missions' consulates, and what we can say is that in 2016 China was climbing the ranks became the third-largest network globally behind the United States and France, then went on to surpass friends in 2017. And this year has narrowly edged the United States with the largest diplomatic network globally.

Now what that matters, it's a statement of ambition. Clearly, China is investing in both breasts, so the number of embassies globally but also in depth. And as you say that that depth is about consular missions on the ground to serve China's economic interests.

And where we've seen the greatest growth in China's consular presence has been in Asia and in Europe, it maps quite closely its Belt and Road Initiative. It's focused on those two regions to build a Eurasian Economic sphere of economic influence.

And these are all you know, part and parcel of China's ambitions globally, as it emerges to become a power that increasingly level the United States on these metrics.

HOLMES: It is very deliberate; it is very structured and the aims are clear/

[01:14:56]

And then you've got America First under Donald Trump, where we've seen this disengagement on many levels internationally.

How difficult is re-engagement if the next president where -- whenever that happens to be, wants to turn that ship around diplomatically or in terms of trade and defense and so on. How tough is it to get back to the top of the list?

LEMAHIEU: Look, it's an open secret that the U.S. State Department is rather demoralized. Donald Trump has threatens budget cuts on both the State Department and USAID. In general, 73 -- only 73 percent of a key postings within the U.S.'s (INAUDIBLE) network globally have been filled under the Trump administration. We're coming towards the end of his first term.

It can be reversed. The U.S. still has a very formidable presence and it's worth noting as well that our results indicates that the country with the most diplomatic presence from other countries remains the United States, so that is the most embassies globally, the most consulates globally is still concentrated on the United States, and China's catching up there.

So, there is a lot of residual power that the United States has diplomatically. But, it's clearly hemorrhaging on those Trump administration.

HOLMES: Right.

LEMAHIEU: And we've seen Trump replace conventional diplomacy with Twitter diplomacy. Unfortunately, traditional diplomacy still carries weights here.

HOLMES: OK, I wanted to get your thoughts on something else. Still with China, but a different issue. You had President Trump signing this Hong Kong rights bill that angered China.

Speak about how China would view this in terms of a challenge to its authority in Hong Kong, especially with the trade deal hanging in the balance.

LEMAHIEU: Sure, there's no question that China would see this as a form of internal interference in its own sovereign matters. But the bill, I think, as you pointed out earlier in your show is still rather symbolic. What it is, it's a -- it's a -- it's a promises and evaluation annually to see whether Hong Kong's rights are being affected. And if in the event that the U.S. judges those are honest rights that have been degraded, then, action may follow.

And on in parallel, we've also seen exporting people's for crowd -- expert controls crowd control measures by the U.S.

Look, I think it's important because Donald Trump was himself on the fence as to whether he would sign the bill. Clearly, the congressional supports (INAUDIBLE) to this bill was so intense that there was no way he could avoid signing it.

HOLMES: Yes.

LEMAHIEU: If avoided to do so, he would have been vetoed. So, he would be spared himself an embarrassment here.

HOLMES: Yes, yes, it was going to become law anyway, it was so well supported in Congress. I did want to ask you this too. In the region, North Korea firing off missiles. The regime set an end-of- year deadline for these nuclear negotiations.

I mean, when you look at the big picture in terms of U.S. policy, Trump went from fire and fury to the Singapore, promises that were kept to Donald Trump's stepping into North Korea, all those love letters. It's been quite a ride but at the end of the day, has Donald Trump being played?

LEMAHIEU: I think North Korea seems to be very comfortable in its position. There's no question that it believes it has the upper hands in these negotiations. I always say, I just played a weak hand very well.

You know, North Korea remains sanctions and it's -- I think this is a Thanksgiving surprise essentially to remind that Donald Trump -- that they still exist and they still pose a threat to the region.

Again, there's an emphasis on short-range missiles which will anger U.S. allies more than it will the U.S. itself. And that also plays into (INAUDIBLE) agenda to try to decouple the U.S.'s interest from -- let's say, Japan and South Koreas.

So, this is all playing into the long game for the North Koreans. They still have their nuclear and conventional capabilities. In fact, they've also managed to rehabilitate the diplomatic influence (INAUDIBLE), Southeast Asia. So, there's no question that, I think, North Korea feels that they're in a confident place here. And the radio silence from Donald Trump suggested (INAUDIBLE) that he realizes both they have been played.

HOLMES: At the end of the day, North Korea has given up absolutely nothing and got a couple of meetings with the U.S. president. So, Herve Lemahieu, thank you so much. I appreciate you joining us here with the Lowy Institute.

LEMAHIEU: Thank you very much.

HOLMES: All right, we're going to take a short break. When we come back, border closures, curfews, tear gas, mass demonstrations sweeping Colombia. Coming up, the changes protesters are demanding. We'll be right back.

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[01:20:57]

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN INTERNATIONAL WEATHER ANCHOR: The storm train continues to line up across the Western United States. Take a look at this image of Los Angeles with very ominous dark covered clouds overhead. This is associated with a low-pressure system moving onshore, bringing some rainfall to the city.

But a lot of that moisture is also finally moving into the Intermountain West and eventually will impact places across the Midwest and into the East Coast as we start the (INAUDIBLE) next week.

Mostly sunny skies for the major East Coast cities today. No problems for New York, D.C., all the way to Atlanta. But you can see the snowfall expected in and around Denver. And you can see the winter storm warnings, advisories and watches in place stretching from Minneapolis all the way to the mountains just outside of LA and outside of Phoenix as well.

Here is the evolution of the storm system over the next 36 hours or so. And you can see how that will impact places like Des Moines and as well Chicago with rainfall on the northern side of the system, it stays snow. And then as we take off the precipitation accumulation map over the next five days, you can see some snowfall, bullseye, and some of the major east coast cities. Something we need a monitor several possibilities still, but that is certainly a possibility into Sunday and Monday.

Temperatures today, four degrees for Chicago, seven for the Big Apple. Here's a look at the next several days in terms of temperatures, lots of cold weather settling into the East Coast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back. The Iraqi government ordering an investigation into deadly anti-government protests. At least, 31 people are being killed, more than 1,000 injured this week alone.

On Wednesday, demonstrators torched the Iranian consulate in Najaf. And on Thursday, Iraqi security forces open fire on demonstrators in Nassiriya. Protesters furious over allegations of government corruption. They are demanding the government stepped down and hold early elections.

And a week of demonstrations drawing tens of thousands of protesters into the streets of Columbia. They are furious over rising unemployment, economic reform, and government corruption. As Matt Rivers reports, there does not seem to be any end in sight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: From students to retirees, laborers, to activist leaders, Colombians from all corners of society are marching to the drumbeat of an angry course.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are protesting because the whole system and the government are failing the Columbia nation.

RIVERS: Though largely peaceful, a week of widespread protest has disrupted mass transit and seen some looting. As the government says necessitated, they curfew an areas including the capital city.

There have also been pockets of violence which killed one young protester after he was hit with a tear gas canister fired by riot police. The 18-year-old's death now a symbol of resistance for protesters, returned to the streets after days of demonstrations.

[01:25:02]

RIVERS: It began last week as a strike by labor and student groups largely against austerity reforms and pension cuts rumored to be imminent. Rumours President Ivan Duque denies. Soon, other movements added an array of other grievances.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They don't give us health care; they don't give us education.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Women continue to be violated in all places.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are marching on behalf of the indigenous people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are here so they will finally fulfill the peace agreement with FARC rebels for the dead and disappeared.

RIVERS: The president's attempts to quell the protests are so far unsuccessful. Negotiations stalled as each group issues separate demands. Demands fueled by an anger, now familiar in this region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Latin America, woke up. We don't have people governing us anymore. No oligarchies or bourgeoisie standing in the way of our destinies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Latin America is rising up. We are all becoming empowered. We are gaining strength to demand our rights as citizens and as humans. RIVERS: Colombia now joins a Latin American tide of unrest. From which common themes seem to emerge, economic inequality, received oppression, and corruption. In Colombia, differing demands are rooted in these familiar sources of discontent, fueling a protest with no end in sight.

Matt rivers CNN Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: We'll take a short break. When we come back, Kurdish authorities claim Turkish forces are targeting their clinics and ambulances in Syria. Ankara says it's not true. So, CNN went to see. We'll take you inside northern Syria.

Also, still to come, historic floods of vicious wildfires and now a stark warning about climate change. Is it too late to stop it? Just ahead, a troubling new report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:30:18]

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone.

I'm Michael Holmes.

Time to update you on the top news this hour.

U.S. President Donald Trump on his way back to the U.S. after making an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Thursday. At Bagram Air Base, the President said the peace talks had restarted with the Taliban. Just last September, he abruptly terminated those same talks.

Hong Kong police have finished sweeping the Polytechnic University for dangerous material and have handed the campus back to the university management after pro-democracy protesters occupied it for two weeks. Police say they collected thousands of petrol bombs and hundreds of bottles of corrosive liquid.

Police in Italy say they've uncovered Nazi propaganda and weapons in a series of countrywide raids. 19 people under investigation for trying to form a new Nazi party and train militants. Police say the suspects had connections in the U.K. and Portugal.

To the Middle East now where Kurds are accusing Turkey of targeting their medical teams during the Turkish incursion into northern Syria which began last month. Human rights groups have accused Turkish proxies on the ground of human rights abuses, even war crimes.

CNN's Clarissa Ward went to see for herself and sent this report from northern Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Doctors performed surgeries by headlamps lines, as a battle rages. This was the scene at the Ras al-Ayn Hospital as the Turkish military continued its offensive against Kurdish forces in Northern Syria.

Medic Jamila Rahami (ph) was inside and quickly realized there was no way in or out.

JAMILA RAHAMI, MEDIC (through translator): It is a very difficult feeling, when you know your hospital is going to be destroyed and the ambulances are going to be destroyed. And it's just a few steps between you and the wounded but you can't go to save them.

The screams of the children from Ras al-Ayn are still ringing in my ear.

WARD: It was the first but not the last time Kurdish authorities would accuse Turkish forces of targeting medical infrastructure, a charge that Turkey strongly denies. According to the Rojava Information Center, Kurdish ambulances and clinics have regularly been hit and at least five medical workers killed.

Paramedic Luay Bakr (ph) tells us he was driving to the front lines when a rocket landed right in front of his ambulance. Petrified, he and his co-workers jumped out of the vehicle and hit by the side of the road. Then, another rocket hit.

LUAK BAKR, PARAMEDIC (through translator): Once I regained consciousness, I looked down and my leg was bleeding. I tried to move my arm, and I couldn't. I looked at all my colleagues with me and none of them were moving. They were lying still. Some were screaming and calling for help.

WARD: One of them, 23 year old Hayav Saleh (ph) was killed. But the threat is not just from munitions. The Kurdish Red Crescent says three of its workers were kidnapped and murdered by Turkish-backed fighters.

Human rights groups have accused Turkish proxies on the ground of rampant abuses and even extrajudicial killings. The U.N. and the U.S. have urged Turkey to investigate.

Officially, there is now a cease fire in place here. But violations are frequent.

You can hear the sounds of those jets circling overhead. Jamila was telling us it is like this all day every day.

Over the past few weeks, a steady stream of casualties has flowed into her hospital, many of them civilians. Despite the risks, Jamila says she has no intention of stopping her work.

RAHAMI: Everyone is afraid of the sound of a plane or (ph) but we have people who need us and we have to rescue them.

WARD: As long as the violence continues, She fears there will be many more lives to save.

Clarissa Ward, CNN -- Tel Tamr, Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:34:49]

HOLMES: A new alarm being sounded over the climate crisis.

A research published in the scientific journal "Nature" says the earth is heading towards a global tipping point and irreversible change has already happened in nine different places. They include Antarctica and the Arctic where ice sheets are melting and permafrost has thawed. And South America's Amazon where fires are destroying the rainforest, the lungs of the planet.

Climate scientists say hothouse conditions may make some areas completely uninhabitable. So they are calling for more urgent action to avoid the threat to civilization.

The European parliament has voted to declare a climate emergency just days ahead of the U.N. climate conference in Spain. It all sounds pretty bleak, doesn't it? But there are things you can do to make a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The climate emergency might seem overwhelming, but while it may be called a global warming, each one of us can make individual attempts to help. After, all each of us in every country contribute particular amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere; some, depending on where they live, more than others.

But if we make a few small tweaks to our daily routines, together we can make a big impact.

So, where to start?

First, diet. Changing what you eat could easily have a significant impact because animal agriculture creates about 14 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, roughly on par with the world's transportations.

In 2017, beef (ph) was found to be one of the most damaging foods to climate. Each kilo consumed produces 26.5 kilos of CO2 emissions, five times more than chicken or turkey. Converting to a plant based diet could reduce emissions by over 70 percent depending on where you live.

Second, travel. Nearly all transport relies on fossil fuels. In the, U.S. driving one mile in an average 2016 car emits 404 grams of CO2 equivalent per mile. But taking nearly any other mode of transport will translate into big emission savings. After walking, cycling is the best option because it has no emissions except those that come producing the bike.

In the, E.U. cycling saves more than 16 million tons of CO2 a year. Driving to the sun almost 426 times would produce the same amount of CO2.

Third, energy. Almost every household appliance needs it but a few quick changes can make a difference. Switch from incandescent lights, which waste (ph) up to 90 percent of their energy as heat, to LEDs. They use a quarter of the energy and last 25 times longer.

And take colder showers. The average water heater is set to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But bringing it down by 20 degrees can save 250 kilograms of CO2, the equivalent of leaving an LED light lit for over seven years nonstop.

Fourth, waste. Think before you buy. The fashion industry creates about 10 percent of global greenhouse emissions and consumes more energy than aviation and shipping combined.

When you do make a purchase, try to buy in bulk. If you are buying food, bring your own containers and just get the amount you need. In 2016, the average person living in the E.U. threw out 170 kilos of packaging waste.

And last but not least, plant a garden instead of building a patio out of cement, the production of which creates about 8 percent of global CO2 emissions a year. So planting a garden, or even better, trees, helps reduce the CO2 emissions and produce oxygen.

So, from a burger to a bicycle no one thing will have a big impact but lots of little things can.

Tell us what you are doing to preserve the health of the planet for future generations. Send us your messages on social media using the hashtag #CallToEarth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Some good advice there. Really is a serious situation.

We're going to take a break.

When we come back on CNN NEWSROOM, the Internet didn't pull any punches after Donald Trump tweeted a photo of his head superimposed on the body of the fictional boxer, "Rocky Balboa". Rocky Balboa fought Russia, didn't he?

That is coming up next.

[01:39:04]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Donald Trump ready to fight. Well, at least he made himself appear that way when he tweeted a photo of his head on Rocky Balboa's buff body. And people came out swinging with their comments.

Here's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Looking at this, you may see a president tossing "Keep America Great" hats, but maybe President Trump sees a Greek Olympian hurling a discuss. After all he tweeted out this doctored image of his own head attached to the chiseled torso of Rocky Balboa.

Here's the original.

Instead of doing sit-ups or pumping iron, President Trump tents to just pump his fists.

Critics compare the President to Homer Simpson, checking out his reflection and imagining impeccable pecs.

It's as if I look in the mirror and saw this. Yikes.

There's nothing like a flattering presidential photo shop to inspires tons of unflattering photo shops. When you order something online versus when it arrives; perception versus reality, you're delusional.

The President's son Don Jr. joked, "I've heard from reliable sources that it is not doctored."

The "Daily Wire" doggedly doctored the already doctored photo by adding Conan, the hero dog.

The President at the moment seems to have his chest on the brain. At his latest rally, he railed at the press for supposedly saying he'd had a heart attack when he went o Walter Reed Hospital the other day.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They said he wasn't wearing a tie. If the first thing we do is they take off your -- sure sir, show us that gorgeous chest.

MOOS: That gorgeous just on a guy who once told Reuters, I get exercise. I mean I walk, I this, I that.

Think Torso Trump when compared with real bare-chested Putin, who wore it better? Some critics rubbed it in. #Obama Didn't Need Photo Shop.

President Clinton's former press secretary tweeted, now we know what they did to him at Walter Reed.

In that case, I want what he's having.

Jeanne Moos, CNN -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes, "WORLD SPORT" up next. I'll see you in about 15 minutes with more news.

[01:43:42]

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