05 June, 2017
"Do you know what he believes?" The point of Paris was to create incentives for countries to voluntarily grow their efforts to avert a warmer future.
But what do Americans think is causing climate change, and what do they think should be done about it?
The governors of California, New York and Washington, all Democrats, launched the coalition Thursday after Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the Paris accord, saying its terms are not fair and predicting major job losses because of the agreement.
"Our discussion, George, has been about the agreement, the efficacy of the [Paris] agreement". One, the Paris Agreement just means that our country will set out targets for us to meet to help mitigate global warming. It might be hyperbolic to say America First is actually America Last, but it's certainly America Left Out.
The French are pointing out what they think may be a couple of alternative facts in a White House video touting the benefits of leaving the Paris Accord.
Musk said earlier this week that he would consider quitting the councils if Trump went ahead with the withdrawal.
In announcing the nation's withdrawal from the accord Thursday, Trump argued that the climate agreement negotiated under President Barack Obama was unfair to US workers. Citing research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the president said that even total compliance from all the nations involved in the accord-which hopes to limit global warming to 2°C by 2100-would only produce a "two-tenths of 1°Creduction in global temperature by the year 2100". India can double its coal production.
He said he would notify the UN Secretary General and the climate change secretariat that USA cities, states, businesses and others would aim to meet the US's commitment to reducing emissions 26 per cent below the 2005 levels by 2025. "The EU is still committed to collectively mobilize $100 billion toward activities related to climate change in developing countries by 2020, but in order to achieve that goal, all donor countries will need to work for it and an important role will be played by private sector funding", he said.
Noting that the United States has significant steps to reduce its Carbon dioxide footprint to levels of the pre-1990s, Pruitt said this was achieved largely because of technology, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, that has allowed a conversion to and natural gas and the generation of electricity. "When you look at Paris, frankly, when you look at what was supposed to be achieved there by other nations across the globe, it was very little". Meanwhile, Spicer also said that he had not asked Trump for his personal opinion on climate change, adding to a growing chorus of White House officials who are unable to answer straightforward questions on the topic.
