Thread: For President Trump, Pulling Out Of Paris Is The Only Logical Move

Mr. President, make the announcement today, you do not need to hold up on this waiting for "caveats" or details. Just end it, and get out. Americans don't care about the details, they just want to know that we are no longer bound by this nonsense that hurts our economy, our workers and our taxpayers. Sure, you can continue the commitment to protect our environment as Americans have done since 1970, since Americans were the ones to lead the charge on environmental protection to begin with, we will continue to work on our issues using better expenditures of funds to obtain faster results on clean-up as well as continue our commitment to reducing air emissions of all kinds, but not picking winners and losers as the Paris Accord requires.

Very simple. If you look at charts showing CO2 emission reductions, we are virtually a straight-line reduction since 1970 decades before this stupid Paris Accord.

Obama didn't have the authority to sign this stupid agreement, so you have the authority to withdraw from what I believe is an illegal agreement to begin with.

Trump pulls out of Paris climate deal and does something right (and brave)

By Erick Erickson
Published May 31, 2017
Fox News

From the Middle East to NATO to the G7, analysis from the 'Special Report' All-Star panel

Editor's note: The following column originally appeared on The Resurgent website.

It is not very brave these days to stand up and denounce President Trump. Hollywood and the media will turn you into a hero. But it is a brave thing to stand up to the zeitgeist and culture of fear and bullying the left and media have instilled on the issue of climate change. But President Trump is doing just that. He is defying the left, the media, his children, and many world leaders.

In short, he is leading. President Trump is withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.

It is the right decision for a number of reasons.

First, the Paris Accord is being treated by many as a treaty with treaty obligations, but President Obama never submitted it to Congress for passage.

Second, though President Trump could have left it in place and done nothing, his successor could have easily revived it if left in place.

Third, the structure and implementation of the Paris Accord set a terrible precedent. President Obama worked for what amounts to a global agreement with voluntary measures, but those measures would impact the American economy. But, despite that impact, President Obama did not present the Paris Accord to Congress for ratification or debate.

I do believe the climate is changing. I do believe humans play some role in it. But I also think the certainty with which much of the left clings regarding climate change is more by faith than fact. For years the left has preached climate doom and gloom and they have never been right. They have warned of global cooling and now of global warming.

Their only solution in all cases is a command and control economy. Many of them have started profiting from the scare tactics of climate change and others have financial investments that would profit from carbon trading and other schemes. They drive around in SUV’s and fly private planes while telling the rest of us to cut back. For a group of people convinced we’re all going to die, they sure don’t act like they really believe it.

I simply do not think climate change is an issue worth caring much about and trust that humanity will find ways to adapt to a climate that would change whether or not we were on the planet.

But fundamentally, regardless of my views, I think any President of any party trying to bind this nation to a global agreement that will deeply affect our economy must do so only with the consent of the Senate through its constitutional obligation to approve treaties.

Erick Erickson is a Fox News contributor. He is host of "Atlanta's Evening News" and founder/editor of The Resurgent. He is the founder of RedState.com. Follow him on Twitter @EWErickson.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/...and-brave.html

I hope this is all true. I guess we'll know soon.

Paris climate deal: EU and China rebuff Trump

By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent

43 minutes ago
May 31, 2017

Chinese and EU leaders are to agree a joint statement on the Paris climate agreement saying it is "an imperative more important than ever".

A draft of the document, seen by the BBC, stresses the "highest political commitment" to implement the deal.

It will be widely seen as a rebuff to the US, as President Trump deliberates on withdrawal from the accord.

The joint statement will be published on Friday after a summit in Brussels.

For more than a year, Chinese and EU officials have been working behind the scenes to agree a joint statement on climate change and clean energy.

The document highlights the dangers posed by rising temperatures, "as a national security issue and multiplying factor of social and political fragility," while pointing out that the transition to clean energy creates jobs and economic growth.

"The EU and China consider the Paris agreement as an historic achievement further accelerating the irreversible global low greenhouse gas emission and climate resilient development," the draft document says.

"The Paris Agreement is proof that with shared political will and mutual trust, multilateralism can succeed in building fair and effective solutions to the most critical global problems of our time. The EU and China underline their highest political commitment to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement in all its aspects."

What is climate change?

Climate deal is essential, says UN chief

Both sides say they will step up action to and "forge ahead with further policies and measures" to implement their national plans on cutting carbon. Significantly, both the EU and China agree that they will outline their long term low carbon strategies by 2020.

The document outlines other areas of co-operation including on the development and linking of carbon markets. There will also be bilateral work on energy labelling, energy performance standards and the performance standards of buildings.

"The EU and China are joining forces to forge ahead on the implementation of the Paris agreement and accelerate the global transition to clean energy," said EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete.

"No one should be left behind, but the EU and China have decided to move forward."

Why does Trump want to leave climate deal?
What was agreed in Paris?

Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry and agriculture on the atmosphere.

The Paris accord is meant to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions.

Countries agreed to:

Keep global temperatures "well below" the level of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C

Limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100

Review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge

Enable rich countries to help poorer nations by providing "climate finance" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy

To date, 147 out of the 197 countries have ratified the accord, including the US, where the accord entered into force last November.

Exxon shareholders back 'historic' vote on climate

Antarctic ice crack takes major turn

The increased co-operation between the EU and China comes as reports indicate a further cooling in the US towards the Paris accord.

Several sources, quoted by US media, suggest that President Trump is set to pull out. The President himself tweeted enigmatically that he would announce his decision over the next few days.

This comes after the President failed to find common ground with other global leaders at G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily. In the wake of that meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel vented her frustration with the US position.

"The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying," she told reporters.

"There are no indications whether the United States will stay in the Paris Agreement or not."
Media captionCalifornia to 'work with China' on climate

The new move by the EU and China was warmly welcomed by environmental campaigners, rattled by the prospect of the world's second largest emitter of carbon pulling out of the globally supported agreement.

"If US-China climate cooperation gave birth to the Paris Agreement, now it is up to EU and China to defend and enhance it," said Li Shuo, from Greenpeace.

"The pair has the potential to become the new driver for international climate diplomacy."

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40106281

Sure that's fine. It's good for the EU and China to have good relations. If they like the Paris Accord, they can stay in it. Americans don't want to be part of this right now. We have a beleaguered country to fix and many enemies and forces against US, primarily those building up their own economies at our expense which we can not afford to underwrite. We need freedom here in America, not global pacts picking winners and losers at someone else's expense, which in the clear cases of the Paris Accord, means ours.

Pull out, Mr. President. JUST DO IT. End this now. No looking back, no regrets. Americans will decide on our own terms how we protect our environment.

Trump to announce decision on global climate pact soon

Wed May 31, 2017 | 6:08pm EDT
By Valerie Volcovici and Jeff Mason

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was nearing an announcement on whether to pull out of a global pact to fight climate change and was listening to people on both sides, while a source close to the matter said Trump was preparing for a U.S. withdrawal.

A U.S. pullout could deepen a rift with U.S. allies and the United States would join Syria and Nicaragua as the world's only non-participants in the 195-nation accord agreed upon in Paris in 2015.

Responding to shouted questions from reporters in the White House Oval Office, Trump declined to say whether he had made up his mind, saying, "You'll find out very soon."

"I'm hearing from a lot of people, both ways," Trump, who has previously called global warming a hoax aimed at weakening U.S. industry, said as he met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

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.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer declined during a news briefing to say whether the Republican president might opt for an action short of complete withdrawal.

Under the pact, virtually every nation voluntarily committed to combat climate change with steps aimed at curbing global emissions of "greenhouse" gases. These include carbon dioxide generated from burning of fossil fuels that scientists blame for a warming planet, sea level rise, droughts and more frequent violent storms. It was the first legally binding global climate deal.

Under the pact, the United States committed to reduce its emissions by 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025.

In the past few days, the chief executives of dozens of companies have made last-minute appeals to Trump.

The CEOs of ExxonMobil Corp, Apple Inc, Dow Chemical Co, Unilever NV and Tesla Inc were among those urging 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.

Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy Corp[MUYEY.UL], an Ohio-based coal company and major Trump campaign donor, urged Trump to withdraw.

Trump has said the accord would cost the U.S. economy trillions of dollars without tangible benefit. For the Republican president, a withdrawal would reflect his "America First" approach to policy, unencumbered by international obligations.

Trump refused to endorse the landmark climate change accord at a summit of the G7 group of wealthy nations on Saturday in Italy, saying he needed more time to decide.

A U.S. decision to withdraw from the accord could further alienate American allies in Europe already wary of Trump and call into question U.S. leadership and trustworthiness on one of the world's leading issues. A pullout also would be one more step by the Republican president to erase the legacy of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, who helped broker the accord and praised it during a trip to Europe this month.

Trump has changed his mind on large decisions before, even after signaling a move in the opposite direction.

A U.S. pullout could have sweeping implications for the deal, which relies heavily on the commitment of big polluter nations to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

The United States is the world's second-biggest carbon dioxide emitter behind China. A shift away from coal to cleaner-burning and cheaper natural gas in recent years has cut U.S. carbon emissions to near 30-year lows, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Sierra Club said a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris deal would be a "historic mistake." Friends of the Earth said the action would "sacrifice our planet to the fossil fuel industry" and make America the world's "foremost climate villain."

Democratic U.S. lawmakers said withdrawal would undermine U.S. credibility and its position as a global leader, empowering nations like China to not only drive the climate agenda and set international standards but also reap the economic benefits of a growing clean energy sector.

At a conference near Los Angeles, Democrat Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated for the presidency last year, said withdrawing would be a mistake. “Part of what keeps us going is that America’s word is good, and that you stand with your prior administration whether it was of your party or not,” she said.

MARKETS REACT

U.S. coal company shares dipped alongside renewable energy stocks on Wednesday. The market reaction reflected concerns, raised by some coal companies in recent months, that a U.S. departure from the agreement could unleash a global backlash against coal interests outside the United States.

Other countries rallied behind the Paris accord on Wednesday.

A U.S. pullout would be disappointing, but the European Union stands ready to take global leadership on the issue, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said in Brussels.

The European Union and China are working on a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to climate and energy policy and the implementation of the Paris agreement, according to an EU official with knowledge of the plans.

Trump vowed during his 2016 presidential campaign to "cancel" the Paris deal within 100 days of becoming president on Jan. 20 as part of an effort to bolster U.S. oil and coal industries. That promise helped rally supporters sharing his skepticism of global efforts to police U.S. carbon emissions.

Supporters of the climate pact are concerned that a U.S. exit could lead other nations to weaken their commitments or also withdraw, softening an accord that scientists have said is critical to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

After taking office, Trump faced pressure to stay in the deal from investors, international powers and business leaders, including some in the coal industry. He also had to navigate a split among his advisers.

Senior adviser Steve Bannon, who wants Trump to focus on actions that will rev up his conservative political base, has long opposed the Paris accord. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, has come to the view that the standards set out in the agreement did not work for the U.S. economy and the question was whether to try to change those standards within the agreement or pull out, another senior administration official said.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, favors staying in, the official said, and she has sought to ensure her father heard all sides in the debate.

Trump has already moved to dismantle Obama-era climate change regulations, including the U.S. Clean Power Plan aimed at reducing emissions from main coal-fired power plants.

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, David Alexander, Doina Chiacu, Chris Kahn, Richard Valdmanis, Timothy Gardner, David Ingram and Rodrigo Campos; Writing by Will Dunham and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Cynthia Osterman)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKBN18R1J4

Please, just announce we're pulling out. End it now. Stop torturing US with waiting to know. We don't need the "roll-out", we don't need "details", just pull US out and let US know you will follow-through.

Also, China is not going to help US with North Korea, because they can't and don't have the power over North Korea to do so. They are not going to starve or freeze North Koreans and create a huge migration flow into China.

Finish this stupid Paris Accord that's only in place to make solar panel companies a bunch of money. Solar panels are fine, but they carry ther own environmental impact, a lot of it, as you'll soon learn when millions and millions of acres of farm land and forests are cleared for solar panel farms. Then what? You've lost habitat for wildlife, you lost trees so important to our environment, you also have energy requirements to produce the panels and lots of toxic pollution in their manufacture. They are a nice alternative to fossil fuels, but they carry their own very large environmental impact.

We want all forms of energy, A to Z, "all of the above".

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 32m32 minutes ago

I will be announcing my decision on Paris Accord, Thursday at 3:00 P.M. The White House Rose Garden. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?...Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Please let it be true that we are pulling out of this awful Paris Accord. We want all forms of energy, "all of the above", no international picking of winners and losers.

Tell Elon Musk of Tesla, who is threatening to resign from 2 of your advisory boards over this, "nice having you on board until you put lining your own pockets before the well-being of the people of the United States, but as President I'm not putting coal miners or oil-rig outfitters out of work or their companies out of business so you can sell more $100,000 electric cars to rich people."

This Paris Accord is not about the environment or climate change, it's about having an international pact to promote certain industries over others at the expense of the United States, and this is: WRONG!!!

Period.

It's true! Trump is pulling US out of Paris Accord. Official announcement coming any minute. Thank you President Trump, such a hard decision, so much pressure to stay in, but you stood tall and stuck by our citizens, businesses and economy as we hoped you would. Thank you very very much.

Yes Judy, it is true. We did it.

Related:

Video of announcement on America's withdrawal from the Paris Accord.