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posted by n1 on Thursday June 01 2017, @04:44AM   Printer-friendly
from the Smart-move!-Very-good-for-America. dept.

President Donald Trump plans to make good on his campaign vow to withdraw the United States from a global pact to fight climate change, a source briefed on the decision said on Wednesday, a move that promises to deepen a rift with U.S. allies.

White House officials cautioned that details were still being hammered out and that, although close, the decision on withdrawing from the 195-nation accord - agreed to in Paris in 2015 - was not finalized.

[...] The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was working out the terms of the planned withdrawal with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, an oil industry ally and climate change doubter.

[...] The CEOs of Dow Chemical Co, ExxonMobil Corp, Unilever NV and Tesla Inc all urged Trump to remain in the agreement, with Tesla's Elon Musk threatening to quit White House advisory councils of which he is a member if the president pulls out.

Source: Reuters

On Twitter, Trump indicated that an announcement was coming soon.

"I will be announcing my decision on the Paris Accord over the next few days," he wrote. "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

[...] Opponents of the climate deal were concerned after White House economic advisor Gary Cohn told reporters that the president was "evolving on the issue" during his trip overseas.

His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly channelled support for the deal behind the scenes at the White House, encouraging climate change activists that Trump might change his mind. Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon CEO, also supported remaining in the treaty.

Source: Brietbart


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  • (Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @01:50PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @01:50PM (#518848)

    Trump is a zero-sum guy. He thinks that for every winner in a negotiation there must be a loser. That might be true in real-estate where you can screw someone in a 'deal' and then walk away and never hear from the other guy again. But that's not how politics works, especially international politics because everybody is still there the day after you screw them and you still have to work with them and everything else.

    Pulling out of the Agreement will have none of its intended effects. It will not unleash an economic renaissance for coal, or make climate change any less of a pressing issue at home. Neither the laws of physics or economics can be wiped away by executive order. Climate change will continue to march on, just as basic economics are increasingly pushing markets toward low-carbon energy. Meanwhile, the Clean Air Act still demands that the U.S. government regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. President Trump and his administration can slow-walk that process, but not reverse it entirely.

    What we stand to lose, however, is a seat at the table and trust in America’s ability to deal with big problems. Despite its shortcomings, the Paris Agreement was a positive symbol of international cooperation. To see it undone for the purpose of satisfying craven nationalism is distressing, and an overt abdication of our responsibility. American credibility on climate will be sacrificed, and we will forfeit our ability to spur other countries toward climate action. The climate, national security, and economic implications of turning our backs on the world are hard to fathom, but they may run very deep.

    Furthermore, both China and India are years ahead of schedule on meeting their Paris commitments. [climatechangenews.com] India just cancelled 14 gigawatts of coal plants [independent.co.uk] because cost of unsubsidized solar is in near free-fall, dropping 44% in the last 18 months and is now 24% cheaper than coal. Pulling out of the Paris Accord would be a confession that America isn't first or even second, that America can't even compete with 2nd world countries.

    And, FWIW, a majority of people in each of the 50 states supports staying in Paris climate pact. [yale.edu] Red, blue, purple. All of them.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @03:44PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @03:44PM (#518904)

    STAAAAAAHP!!! WON'T ANYONE THINK OF THE CHiiiiiiiiiiiiiLDREN???!!!!1111

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @04:03PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @04:03PM (#518911)

    BP, Shell, EM all support staying in it.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @04:15PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @04:15PM (#518913)

      That's PR since Paris is so popular with voters. It doesn't stop them from benefiting in the short term from a retreat. They get to have their cake and eat it too by publicly supporting it even when trump cancels it. Rex Tillerson, former CEO of Exxon until he became SecState is a "luke-warmer" [senate.gov] which means he gives empty lip-service to global warming, but his actual policy positions boil down to doing nothing because "the science isn't settled."

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @05:00PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 01 2017, @05:00PM (#518934)

    Neither the laws of physics or economics can be wiped away by executive order.

    Wait, you mean to tell me that Trump can't repeal the second law of thermodynamics?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 02 2017, @12:56AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 02 2017, @12:56AM (#519137)

    And, FWIW, a majority of people in each of the 50 states supports staying in Paris climate pact. [yale.edu] Red, blue, purple. All of them.

    Trump were not voted in to be sane on environmental policy. Issues like Muslim threat, PC-culture, elitism in power, heightened tensions with Russia, crony capitalism etc were far more important.