Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,111 posts)
Wed May 31, 2017, 02:44 PM May 2017

States, nations moving on climate without Trump

President Trump’s spoken thoughts on climate change layer ignorance over irresponsibility. They humiliate thinking Americans and frustrate our friends. The president’s recent refusal in Europe to commit to sticking with the Paris accord for curbing planet-warming gas emissions is the latest national embarrassment.

Trump did say he’d come up with an answer in a week, and if he has by the time you read this, the decision won’t entirely matter. Even if we stay in, few allies trust Trump, given his penchant for cheating.

But though the presidency is powerful, it’s not all-powerful. There are workarounds, and they’re already in motion. German Chancellor Angela Merkel alluded to the possibilities Sunday, when she called on Europe to basically give up on Trump’s America: “We Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands.”

Team Trump should drop any fantasy that other nations would bear the burden of addressing the climate change crisis while letting Americans belch greenhouse gases willy-nilly. A former French president has already called for slapping U.S. products with a carbon tax if Trump goes AWOL on the Paris agreement.

The sovereign state of California, however, could have a better deal. California has been establishing its own foreign policy on climate. And why wouldn’t it?

Were California a country, its economy would be sixth-largest in the world. Entrepreneurs in this science and tech powerhouse are already making a ton of money finding ways to reduce emissions. Clean energy now employs more people in California than coal employs in all of America.

http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/harrop-states-nations-moving-on-climate-without-trump/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=2fee16dd07-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-2fee16dd07-228635337

2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
States, nations moving on climate without Trump (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2017 OP
to be far, they have been moving in without Syria and Nicaragua too brokephibroke May 2017 #1
My hope is defacto7 May 2017 #2
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Environment & Energy»States, nations moving on...