President Trump Pulled the US Out of the Paris Climate Accord (and Why You Should Care)
President Trump announced today that he is withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Accord (i.e. the world’s effort to battle climate change), and while your head may be swimming with all of the issues you need to be concerned about these days (including all of the controversial moves our leader has made during his first 100 days in power), here’s what you need to know about this current situation, and what it means for the environment.
195 countries around the world came together to adopt the accord back in December 2015, resulting in one of the biggest steps ever taken to battle climate change. And now, despite pleas from international leaders, scientists, the terrified public, and even his own daughter, Ivanka Trump, the President has notified Congress that he will remove the United States from the list of nations supporting the agreement.
The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2012
The president has gotten flack in the past for his claims that climate change is a hoax (once tweeting that the scientifically proven phenomenon was “created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive”) and saying that the Paris Accord hurts Americans. Now, CNN reports that info sent to “Trump’s allies” explained the decision to leave: “The accord was negotiated poorly by the Obama administration and signed out of desperation. It frontloads costs on the American people to the detriment of our economy.”
"I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," Trump says of pulling out of a deal that'll affect every person on Earth pic.twitter.com/4jPTuCqbSG
— David Mack (@davidmackau) June 1, 2017
Okay, fair. But as some have observed from the president’s press conference this afternoon, it seems like the powers-that-be are completely missing the point: This isn’t about Paris, it’s about the ENTIRE FRIGGIN’ PLANET and every single creature on it.
Most Americans—in every single state—want us to stay a part of the Paris Agreement.
Huge majorities in some states.https://t.co/6tbROKHIrT pic.twitter.com/7rIfH8bwrN
— Alex Steffen (@AlexSteffen) June 1, 2017
People are not only afraid that this move will harm efforts to curb climate change. Some are also worried that this will strain relations between the US and other countries, as well as leave a spot open for another nation (such as China) to become a leader in the ever-increasingly important global effort.
JUST IN: Statement from President Barack Obama on the Paris Climate Accord: pic.twitter.com/hVDrsPFrTH
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 1, 2017
The official process of withdrawing from the accord will take years to complete, which means that all will be said and done in November of 2020, the very same month that President Trump will be up for re-election. Only time will tell if this latest controversial move will help or hinder his future prospects, not to mention the world and environment at large.
What do you think about President Trump withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t CNN; photos via Win McNamee/Getty)