Trump vs The World
When I first saw the news that Donald Trump was pulling the United States out of the Paris Agreement I was floored.* The agreement, signed in 2015 by 195 countries, was the latest step forward in combating climate change.** All but two countries, war-torn Syria and one of the poorest, Nicaragua, didn’t sign the agreement. The historic acknowledgement of the reality of climate change cemented the fact that it is indeed one of the chief threats facing humanity as we foray into the future. The agreement was ambitious, aiming to limit temperature increases to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels with the optimistic target set to 1.5 degrees. However, the consensus is still, that if this (very ambitious) target is met the damage cannot be reversed but future damage can be mitigated. To reach this lofty goal, which affects every human present and to come, the full cooperation of all nations is necessary. The United States is the key to all of this. They led the negotiations back in 2015 to reach the Paris Agreement, and as one of the world leaders in CO2 emissions both in the past and current the US must set the example and bear the brunt of the economic costs.
All of this changed this week when President Trump announced that the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on the ground that the deal (brokered in large part by the US) placed unfair economic pressure on the US. Furthermore, he and other Republicans still refuse to accept that climate change is a hoax. This is a complete and utter failure of the current White House administration to accept the reality of climate change. Ten years ago the reality of climate change wasn’t a debate and the same holds true today.
There are many reasons for Trump to make this decision; political maneuvering, protection of donor interests or adherence to party principles. However, the likely reality that Trump made the decision out of pure ignorance is sobering and concerning. The Trump administration has been mired in scandal after scandal since day one, but while the world has so far watched events unfold from a relatively safe distance this decision affects the future of the entire planet. We have run out of time, we don’t have a few more years to “figure it out” or to try another approach. Action must be taken by other countries possibly by economic sanctions on the US, by the rational minds still left in the American government, and by the American people before it is too late to ensure a sustainable future for all generations to come.
*http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/donald-trump-absage-an-klimaabkommen-entsetzt-den-rest-der-welt-a-1150364.htmlVeit Medick and Marc Pitzke, "Trump kündigt Klimapakt: Stinkefinger - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Politik," SPIEGEL ONLINE, June 02, 2017, , accessed June 02, 2017, http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/donald-trump-absage-an-klimaabkommen-entsetzt-den-rest-der-welt-a-1150364.html.
*"UN, United Nations, UN Treaties, Treaties," United Nations, , accessed June 02, 2017, https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVII-7-d&chapter=27&clang=_en.
