{"id":20204,"date":"2017-06-01T16:37:30","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T20:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=20204"},"modified":"2019-03-12T10:57:08","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T14:57:08","slug":"trump-paris-accord-implications-university-climate-research-activism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/trump-paris-accord-implications-university-climate-research-activism\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Pulls Out of the Paris Accord: What Does This Mean for University Climate Research and Activism?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After much controversy and speculation, President Trump has decided to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, as of today June 1, 2017. <\/span><\/p>\n

In an announcement, Trump stated that he decided to withdraw from the agreement because he deemed it unfair to the U.S., but he indicated that he would be willing to negotiate a new deal. \u201cI was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,\u201d Trump said. <\/span>“We’re getting out. And we will start to renegotiate and we’ll see if there’s a better deal. If we can, great. If we can’t, that’s fine,” he added. \u201c<\/span>The agreement is a massive redistribution of U.S. wealth to other countries,\u201d said Trump. It is \u201cless about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the U.S.,\u201d Trump proclaimed. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Paris Agreement<\/span><\/a> was signed by 195 countries on April 22, 2016 (Earth Day) in an effort to \u201cstrengthen the global response to the threat of climate change.\u201d It is an agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and was created to innovate ways to limit greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. <\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S. emits 15 percent of the world\u2019s carbon dioxide, making it the second biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. Now, the U.S. joins Syria and Nicaragua as the only countries that will NOT join the Paris Agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Obama used an Executive Order to sign on to the agreement in 2016, which is why Trump has the power to make his decision without approval from the Senate. After signing on, Obama called it \u201c<\/span>the best chance we have<\/span><\/a>\u201d to save the planet. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

President Trump\u2019s cabinet was split on the decision. White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Chief Strategist and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt were two of the cabinet members pushing Trump towards a decision to exit the Paris Agreement. They argued that the agreement is harmful to the U.S. economy.<\/p>\n

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and member of Trump\u2019s Strategic and Policy Forum, was one of the most avid opponents of leaving the Paris Agreement. Musk <\/span>tweeted just yesterday<\/span><\/a>, \u201cDon’t know which way Paris will go, but I’ve done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain.\u201d He also tweeted that he will \u201chave no choice but to depart councils\u201d if Trump decides to pull out of the agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Don’t know which way Paris will go, but I’ve done all I can to advise directly to POTUS, through others in WH & via councils, that we remain<\/p>\n

\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n