"NBC News just called it the great freeze -- coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?" was tweeted by President Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) on January 25, 2014.
Thursday, June 1, 2017, President Trump announced that he will withdraw the United States from its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions made in the 2015 Paris Climate Deal.
But as citizens of not only the United States but of the world, what does that decision mean? First, here's the backstory of the Paris accord itself.
In December, 2015, 195 countries all agreed in favor for a global pact to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. This agreement was a major landmark for not only Obama's environmental agenda, but also a landmark decision for the attempt to halt global warming. Under the Paris agreement, the Obama administration had promised to cut 26% of emissions created by the United States.
Scientists have warned that the rise of greenhouse gas emissions could cause global warming to become catastrophic and irreversible. Yet that warning did not stop President Donald J. Trump from revealing that he was planning on pulling out of the Paris Accords on Thursday.
"As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris Accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country."
But, why would Trump want to pull out of a deal that has the potential to heal the very environment that supports our nation's agriculture, and therefore its economy? He claims that he "cannot in good conscience support a deal that punishes the United States."
Luckily though, the United States hasn't pulled out of the accords for good. Trump stated that the country will start to negotiate to "re-enter the Paris accord or a really entirely new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States."
But, many are unsure on how these negotiates will be made as France, Germany, and Italy all joined in a statement saying that the agreement cannot be renegotiated.
Currently, President Trump's decision had been followed with much criticism from many corporations, politicians, and even the previous president, Barack Obama.
Obama believes that "the nations that remain in the Paris agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created," and furthers his statement by even making the claim that he believes that "the United States of America should be at the front of the pack" when it comes to preventing excessive carbon emissions.
Despite the criticism since his decision made on Thursday, when asked his position on the legitimacy of climate change, an official statement from Donald Trump has not yet been made. In personal opinion though, it is not only a necessity that President Trump makes a creditable statement on not only his position but also his rational behind pulling out of the Paris Accords.
Although he does claim that his decision was made based on the potential for stunted economic growth in the United States, he never states exactly how the Paris Accords could hinder the economy, nor does he recognize that the agreement made in the Paris Accords has the ability to create jobs as well.
Rather than criticizing or supporting the President's decision, it should be demanded that the President release a statement with legitimate facts and reasoning behind this decision.
We must ask ourselves, are strong leaders those who make difficult decisions? Or are strong leaders those who effectively and transparently handle the consequences of those decisions?
