Paris climate change treaty: America tries to doom us all

It’s difficult to know where to begin with this one. Perhaps, a little background on the Paris Climate Change Agreement which was agreed through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It deals with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. It was signed by no less than 195 countries across the world and, essentially, was a promise that the world would make sure that global temperatures didn’t rise any further. Or, as the actual agreement stated “Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change;”

So now we know that the heinous and horrific anti-US plot by the rest of the developed Western world is to stop South West England from submerging underwater before our children hit secondary school, we can sympathise with the President.

On a perfectly serious note, however, we should probably dissect Trump’s announcements based purely on his maniacal claims. For those of us who treasure scientific evidence above empty ideological rhetoric, or open and selfless values above the interests of old white American billionaires, or simply those who prefer not to live in the real world incarnation of Mordor, the announcement has been deeply troubling.

Global condemnation has been swift and coordinated with the vast majority of European leaders, including those of France, Italy, Germany, Spain and others co-signing a letter expressing their dismay at the decision taken by Trump. Conspicuous by her cowardly absence is one Mrs Theresa May who instead decided to express her underwhelming ‘disappointment’ through a Downing Street brief before she returned to the campaign trail to presumably hide in the proverbial cupboard and wait for all of this to blow over.

“ In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.”

An admirable sentiment were it based on any tangible evidence or logic, it’s fair to assume that a majority of Americans don’t like the idea of bringing the dry delights of the Sahara desert to the mid-America. We say fair to assume as already drought-hit farmlands and crops completely disappear in order to continue burning oil for, presumably, those who have now moved to higher ground.

As highlighted by The Huffington Post, NASA themselves have recently defined their own presumed effects of climate change as ‘Increased flooding in the north,  Increased droughts in the southwest, More frequent and stronger hurricanes, A sea level rise of 1-4 feet by 2100’. Lovely.

“The Paris Climate Accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries.”

Aside from the absolutely ludicrous claim that the largest economy in the world is somehow disadvantaged against, well, anybody, the US is the biggest carbon polluter in the history of the world. Americans also make up just over 4% of world’s population. They're nevertheless responsible for almost 1/3 of the excess CO2 in the atmosphere. You don’t have to be Karl Marx to think that paying a little more in to the pot would be the fairest way of doing it. Rather than comparing it to going to dinner with a friend who has a steak and bottle of champagne whilst you eat a salad and expecting you to pay half the bill, it’s possibly more like going out with a friend to dinner who subsequently trashes a third of the restaurant with a sledge hammer, says you should pay the bill and also that they shouldn’t have to pay anything whilst they continue to destroy the rest of the restaurant.

“As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord... importantly the Green Climate Fund which is costing the United States a vast fortune.”

See above for ludicrous claims of cost and responsibility but also be aware that despite what Donald Trump may or may not believe, the treaty is absolutely binding in international law and demonstrates a baffling and terrifying ignorance of international law and treaties.

“Compliance with the commitments put into place by the previous administration would cut production for the following sectors - paper, down 12%. Cement, down 23%. Iron and steel down 38%. Coal, and I happen to love the coal miners, down 86%.”

US solar power industries alone employ more people than oil, gas and coal combined. Despite the utterly unimaginable logic of believing that the coal industry has a future worth pursuing instead of renewable energy, let’s bear in mind that 195 other countries have committed to ending coal consumption as soon as possible. In the desolate desert America of the future, the only people left to sell their coal to will be, erm, America.

“Not only does this deal subject our citizens to harsh economic restrictions, it fails to live up to our environmental ideals.”

The states with a majority in favour of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, according to Padraig Belton of The BBC and Spectator, quoting Climate Change Communication, are…none of them. Not a single surveyed state in America has a majority in favour of withdrawal.

“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

Pittsburgh voted for Hilary Clinton by a majority of 55.9%. The Mayor of Pittsburgh responded to show his support for the agreement. Despite the clever alliteration, Trump has once again shown his intellectual abilities to be similar to that of a lawn mower.

“The agreement blocks the development of clean coal in America.”

It doesn’t exist. Clean coal doesn’t exist.

“Even if the Paris Agreement was implemented in full with total compliance by all nations, it is estimated it would only produce a two-tenths of one degree Celsius reduction in global temperature by 2100. A tiny, tiny amount.”

The agreement is to stop the rising of global temperatures, not to reduce them significantly, as it is widely agreed this is now impossible. Had he read the agreement, one must assume that the President would be aware of this.

“Our tax bill is moving along in Congress and I believe it's doing very well.”

Aside from being totally irrelevant, there is no tax bill currently going through Congress. It genuinely doesn’t exist. We, and Vox Political, have looked for it.

“As someone who cares deeply about the environment, which I do, I cannot in good conscience support a deal that punishes the United States.”

This is posted without comment to allow our readers to draw their own conclusions.