Why leaving the Paris Accord makes absolutely no sense whatsoever
Well, he has done it. President Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Accord. Outrageous! As dust settles, we find China the new world leader in the urgent charge to ameliorate climate chaos.
China, partnering with the European Union, will lead an economic boom bringing associated jobs as the world transitions to an alternative energies platform. Meanwhile American workers sit on the sidelines with Syria and Nicaragua, the only two other countries that rejected the Paris Agreement.
“If one country decides to leave a void, I can guarantee that someone else will occupy it,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said. “Disengagement will carry ‘consequences’,” he added, including a loss of integration that could undermine a country’s “internal security.”
Withdrawal proponents are throwing around misinformation. Remember, the Paris Agreement set a goal to slow the rate of climate change so that the planet’s average temperature would not rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Each country voluntarily submitted a plan showing their actions contributing to that goal. Reassessment happens every five years to ratchet up actions toward the goal. 195 countries agreed. The two largest greenhouse gas emitters are the U.S. and China.
The U.S. intended to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28 percent. This target is consistent with a straight-line emission reduction pathway from 2020 to deep, economy-wide emission reductions of 80 percent or more by 2050.
China has nationally determined its actions by 2030 as follows: To achieve the peaking of carbon dioxide emissions around 2030 and making best efforts to peak early; lower carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 60 percent to 65 percent from 2005 levels; Increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 20 percent; and increase forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion cubic meters on the 2005 level.
Trump sees conspiracies everywhere. The Paris Accord does not take advantage of American taxpayers. China is not tricking us. In fact, China is ahead of schedule on its plan reducing coal plants while vastly increasing their solar power capacity. All countries saw the value of working together to address climate repercussions.
It’s in everyone’s best interest to work together because climate change is a global problem. Had Trump stayed in, the U.S. could have led the effort putting our citizens to work addressing the problem. Instead we continue burning fossil fuels associated with air and water pollution.
It seems President Trump wants us to go backwards so older white men, having lost their role identity, feel in control again. This withdrawal does nothing to boost our economy. Instead, it harms U.S. ability to share expertise and take timely actions for the good of all.
There was another non-binding component to the Accord. A Green Climate Fund was established to ease climate impacts for those most vulnerable to rising seas, weather catastrophes, agricultural failures, wildfire, and loss of natural resources.
The U.S. has paid $1 billion so far. Trump reneged on that agreement even though the U.S. is most responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate chaos.
Trump feels the U.S. is being abused by paying that ever-rising amount each year. In fact, the total U.S. amount was $3 billion. To date 19 other nations have contributed an additional $10.3 billion. What it really shows is that the U.S. doesn’t keep its promises and that we don’t care about the suffering. That’s embarrassing.
In his withdrawal speech, not once did Trump mention the numerous harmful effects of climate change and its increasing deleterious effect on life on the planet.
Please don’t tell us you care about the environment. He has ignored science, insulted the wisdom of all those who collaborated for so many years to come to the Paris Accord, and immorally ignored the reality of climate chaos on those most vulnerable on the planet.
Thank goodness for the other 194 nations, many American city mayors, state governors, corporations and philanthropies insisting they are committed to meeting our Paris Accord commitments so that we leave our children and grandchildren a habitable planet.