“President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will withdraw the United States from the landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change, spurning pleas from U.S. allies and corporate leaders in an action that fulfilled a major campaign pledge,” Reuters reported. “Supporters of the accord condemned Trump’s move as an abdication of American leadership, an international disgrace and a monumental foreign policy blunder. His predecessor, Barack Obama, expressed regret over the pullout from a deal he was instrumental in brokering.”
“We’re getting out,” Trump said at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden in which he decried the Paris accord’s “draconian” financial and economic burdens. He said American withdrawal “represents a reassertion of American sovereignty.”
Reactions were swift. Bill McKibben, the environmentalist and founder of founder of 350.org, wrote under the headline, “Trump’s Stupid and Reckless Decision”:
“People say, if all you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. We should be so lucky. President Trump has a hammer, but all he’ll use it for is to smash things that others have built, as the world looks on in wonder and in fear.
“The latest, most troubling example is his decision to obliterate the Paris climate accord: After nearly 200 years of scientific inquiry and over 20 years of patient diplomacy that united every nation save Syria and Nicaragua, we had this afternoon’s big game-show Rose Garden reveal: Count us out.” Read the full column here.
The Times editorializes, under the headline, “Our Disgraceful Exit”:
“In huge neon letters, it sends a clear message that this president knows nothing or cares little about the science underlying the stark warnings of environmental disruption. That he knows or cares little about the problems that disruption could bring, especially in poor countries. That he is unmindful that America, historically the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, has a special obligation to help the rest of the world address these issues. That he is impervious to the further damage this will cause to his already tattered relationship with the European allies. That his malfeasance might now prompt other countries that signed the accord to withdraw from the agreement, or rethink their emissions pledges. Perhaps most astonishing of all, a chief executive who touts himself as a shrewd businessman, and who ran on a promise of jobs for the middle class and making America great again, seems utterly oblivious to the damage this will do to America’s own economic interests.” The full editorial here.
National Review’s David French disagrees:
“Despite what you may read on Twitter or elsewhere online, don’t believe for a moment that this is an apocalyptic moment. Private-sector innovation continues. American states have a degree of freedom to go their own way (and Americans have the freedom to move to — or away from — states that impose their own climate regulations), and if people truly believe the apocalypse looms, they have the ability to make that case to the America people. In his announcement today, Trump pledged to negotiate a different, better deal for American workers. If and when he does, he should depart from the Obama precedent, remember the Constitution, and submit that agreement for Senate ratification. Then he can perhaps build an enduring consensus. Then he can lead the free world the right way, by following the rule of law and hundreds of years of international legal norms. The calculus is simple. Binding, enduring multinational agreements should exist as treaties, as without a treaty there is no binding, enduring multinational agreement.” The full opinion here.
hooray says
Finally putting on his big boy pants and making some good decisions read the facts sheeple turn off cnn and msnbc and go smell the flowers
Ws says
Stupid are the people who think it’s stupid.
Janet Sullivan says
Given Trump’s propensities of not being a deep thinker about most things and wanting to be lauded by his supporters, I’m not sure this was anything more to him than giving Angela Merkel, Europe, and Barack Obama the big middle finger (on his tiny little hands). It is one more heartbreak for America. Let’s see how the GOP sorts this out.
gmath55 says
It’s a bad deal! Costs trillion of dollars over 100 years for what? a one degree difference in the temperature over 100 years! If environmentalist were mathematicians they would have a brain. The left will always be morons.
Irene says
This accord did nothing to help the climate. All it did was give India unlimited coal mining rights while Americans were stripped of the entire coal mining industry resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs. It also burdened us with more regulations. China was required to do nothing. This accord was a way for the far left socialist, elitist, new world order clan, to get their hands on Americans hard earned taxpayer monies to steal and squander. Thank you, President Trump!!
Irene says
Oh, and it was $75 BILLION of our hard earned taxpayer monies!
Sherry says
Not to confuse the totally and stubbornly ” Ignorant” with “scientific FACTS”. . . this from NASA:
https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
Sherry says
Oh Yeah. . . how about a little FACT checking on trump’s claims on the subject:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/06/01/fact-checking-president-trumps-claims-on-the-paris-climate-change-deal/?utm_term=.8c2972d86d41
Pogo says
Sometimes a picture is worth a million words:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5O-eGJVYAEmk5w.jpg
Making America Go Away
Pogo says
MAGA – for adults:
An alliance of the nation’s biggest states could short-circuit Trump’s vow to leave the Paris Agreement
http://www.businessinsider.com/united-states-climate-alliance-could-short-circuit-trumps-vow-to-leave-the-paris-agreement-2017-6
Sherry says
Let’s see what several CEOs have to say about trump’s “stupid” decision:
http://edition.cnn.com/videos/cnnmoney/2017/06/02/ceos-to-trump-youre-wrong-on-climate-change.cnn/video/playlists/stories-worth-watching/
Katie Semore says
I challenge those who believe that this was a good decision to explain why. For your response to have any validity, you must be able to provide the science that supports your response. My guess is that that not one of you will have anything to support it beyond that idiot we have as a president promised it. He is ignorant of the science as well as most things as has been proven by almost every step he has taken since he became, dreadfully, the president. Not only will he not make America great, but he will bring her down from the greatness that she has always been with the help of others who put this miserable excuse of a responsible man in office. I weep for our country and for those who stupidly follow him.
anonymous says
Wow, do these respondents actually LIVE in Florida, where streets are flooding all the time (when they didn’t use to a decade or so ago) in St. Augustine, Miami and other coastal towns? Supporters of Trump are no better than the nazi supporters of Hitler, or the facist supporters of Mussolini, or the communist supporters of Stalin, who pretty much did the same thing Trump is taking us to. Trump already said he was going to destroy the 1st Amendment, and he is well on his way with his constant brainwashing LIES about what his lying face terms ‘fake’ media, especially when they are telling the TRUTH. Wake up and get vaccinated against the rabies-infestation that rabid, zombie republicans are spewing all over you. Sheesh.
Iovannitti says
Michigan was feet deep buried in ice, and that melted many moons ago. Can anybody explain explain it? With Trump as President mark a time were USA will not be milked with taxpayers money. Obama spoke very well a great orator saying things he was told to say. President Donald Travel is not a politician at all, he is not a good orator and he speaks from his hart something few do.
Jeffrey says
Maybe we can start using common sense instead of reactionary political talking points. This accord was bad for the USA, did nothing to curb climate change, didn’t even place limits on the 2 largest polluters (China & India), allowed Russia to increase their emissions by 50% and forced the US to pay 10x more than anyone else…please let’s just have an honest conversation. For Pete’s sake, the US is the only one who keeps up its financial obligations to NATO, what makes you think any other country will fulfill their financial obligations here ?