With Trump officially taking office, the time for change and activism has run out. Many people upset with him taking office have started protests and riots against the newly sworn-in President.
Within hours of Trump taking office, he immediately pulled out of several essential groups. Firstly he withdrew from the World Health Organization, secondly pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement which the United States has worked tirelessly to remain in. This agreement is a swear-in policy of countries working to lower emissions, and to help reduce climate change. Only a few countries worldwide are not in this agreement including Iran and Liberia.
Pulling out of this agreement will have devastating impacts on the global climate, where we are currently. Without politicians and companies focusing on uplifting green acts and renewable energy, we are likely to continue seeing the devastating impacts of climate change and rising global temperatures. These hotter temperatures are accompanied by a thick insulated layer in the atmosphere, which traps heat and greenhouse gasses inside, increasing the temperatures and staying hotter.
“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, leaving American workers — who I love — and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production.”
With Trump pulling out of this agreement, we are ultimately looking at a much more rapid descent into climate change and global warming. We have seen several storms and climate change patterns accumulating in places we normally don’t have. New Orleans is not only getting snow for the first time in decades but also having a reported 18 inches and more. The Southern States are reporting weather patterns unusual for this time of the year. Snow and ice in places that usually are safe havens for these cold fronts, beaches covered in snow.
Many of the protests accompanying Trump taking office are activities fighting for climate change and global warming prevention. Many of the non-scientific opposing sides claim that because some places are getting record cold temperatures Trump must be correct about global warming being a hoax. However, part of global warming is that the increased heat temperatures cause the ice caps and glaciers to thaw and disperse their cold weather-causing motions.
Before President Biden left office, he had been pushing a wide variety of beneficial acts against climate change and global warming like renewable energies, and forcing companies to have caps/limits on their pollution outcomes. Trump however has stated that he sides with the big businesses and will be removing these green acts and positions that the previous Presidents have pushed for.
Trump has done a ton after only being in office a few days. Pulling out of the Paris Climate agreement is very scary when you think about it. I haven't heard much about this topic specifically but I am really glad you brought it to light. I think it's very important to be informed, especially if it puts us at risk.
ReplyDeleteI think of what he has said about the oil companies "Drill baby drill" in terms of Alaska and more. I just no longer know how to have respectful conversations with those that voted for him. Pulling out of the Paris Accord, cutting EPA funding promising to drill everywhere possible just makes me think it is time to loose hope. Like you said, a rapid descent in climate change.
ReplyDeleteI agree I am having a hard time having productive conversations with Trump voters, especially because the evidence against his policy is striking and straightforward. He is not going to end his spiral of ignorance, and it is polarizing our country and making change very difficult to accomplish. As a young person in America how can you not feel defeated?
DeleteIt's a shame that Trump has pulled us out of a lot of important organization, now it seems like we are on the outside looking in, on what the rest of the world is doing. Unfortunately unless it's very profitable for politicians they really don't care.Im glad you brought a lot of this information up this week for the blogs.
ReplyDeleteI liked your wording on how the US is "on the outside looking in" because that is so true. There are barely any countries that join the US on the outside like this.
DeleteIt seems as though Americans can't win when it comes to the dispersal of our tax dollars. Would we rather be using our money to reduce climate change and prevent these disastrous events or would we rather put our money into fixing these areas after disaster strikes and people are left homeless?
ReplyDeleteI also read about the US pulling out of the Paris Agreement and found it to be a unique perspective Trump has on it. He looks at it financially and I understand where he is coming from but I would have loved to see him offer an alternative.
ReplyDeleteIt's Trump's early days in office and he seems to already have made so many changes. His decisions will definitely have long term effects on global climate efforts. I wonder if individual states/cities are going to step in and interfere with his plans.
ReplyDeleteIt frustrate me how little our new president seems to care about climate change. Pulling out the Paris Climate Agreement seem a huge step in the wrong direction.
ReplyDeleteThis was really well stated and summarized. I agree with the sentiment that without the ability to push through on the activism front, protest is the escalation. It seems no amount of reason would convince President Trump to rescind or reflect on his recent actions. I wonder as the United States continues to experience unprecedented weather, if some of the climate deniers will have to wake up. Snow in the south may be miraculous but it will be the new normal if zero action is made. Trump's one track mindset on economy is damaging worldwide progress.
ReplyDeleteAn isolationist worldview is detrimental to ourselves as well as the world, especially in the case of climate change. Everyone is affected in some way by what other countries do or don't do. Pretending otherwise is arrogant thinking. With Trump, he seems to believe only in win-lose solutions, with the winner being the US, but mostly himself. With a global economy and global climate change, "Win-Lose" situations are only poorly disguised "Lose-Lose" situations.
ReplyDeleteTrump's is not the mindset we need right now.
This is a great topic to cover! Sometimes I have a difficult time believing that this is actually happening. I am not convinced that over half of the U.S. is okay with committing irreversible environmental damage for cheaper gasoline and maintaining the status quo. There is a lot to be said about America and the second election of Donald Trump, but one thing that I wonder is why Trump doesn’t talk more about China being the world's largest contributor to greenhouse gases. He never hesitates to say anything bad about the country, even when his statement isn’t true. But for some reason, this topic is not discussed as much as it should. My guess is because he knows it would raise a lot of alarm to the truth about climate change here in America. But mainly because he doesn’t care.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you touched on this topic of Trump's withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement as when I first discovered this news I was extremely disappointed. This perspective and your research gives me better insight into how his negligence to the climate crisis is truly devastating toward making progress and implementing climate action. It is unfortunate at this point all we can do is wait to see what he has in store, although it isn't looking promising.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate this blog post because these changes Trump has made on his first day in office will have extreme consequences for the health of our planet. It is so sad to see the leader of our country discuss the spending and money associated with these groups as the sole reason to pull out of them. Pushing the agenda that money is the most important factor is super dangerous ideology.
ReplyDeleteThis administration does not seem to care about the future for the American people. They only care about the now and the money that comes from the fossil fuel and emissions. It is worrying that there is so much unknown because of this decision. Many US citizens agree with staying in the agreement and yet their voices are ignored in favor of big businesses.
ReplyDeleteFor all the harm they seem dead set on causing, my eggs and gas better be dirt cheap soon (/j). It's baffling to me that people can be so easily swayed to vote against their own interests. This country has a huge education problem.
ReplyDeleteI truly wonder when people will realize that Trump has no idea what he is talking about, I thought everyone had learned their lesson during his first presidency when he was not able to follow through on any of his promises to the working class but it seems that some are content to repeat their mistakes. It seems very clear to me that the man who is funded by huge oil corporations would be pulling out of the Paris Agreement for the sake of his financial backers not the everyday American.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see but with so many people ignoring climate change and oil companies and trumps plans for 2025 I don't see our climate situation improving only getting worse
ReplyDeleteGiven that the Paris Climate Agreement is an international agreement to control global warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the withdrawal is alarming.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the attention being brought to the fact that Trump and his administration are actively taking steps that will detriment the environment, especially so soon after he has stepped into office. It is frustrating to watch people who care more about money than about the health of the planet and the people they are meant to serve come into power.
ReplyDeleteThat is a powerful quotation you have from Trump's argument against the Paris Agreement. I wonder if you can find/state the counterargument?
ReplyDeleteTrump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and halt green policies has jeopardized global efforts to combat climate change, exacerbating the environmental crises already unfolding.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, MJ! You break down Trump’s climate moves and their impact really well. Wild how fast things can change.
ReplyDeleteAny talk of rejoining the Paris Agreement or pushing new policies? Also, how do these shifts hit industries that depend on steady weather? Would love to hear your take!
It is very disheartening to witness the regression of progress towards ending the climate crisis at the hands of Trump. I liked that you included examples of altered weather patterns and events we have already witnessed as a result of this climate crisis, truly made me think about how terrifying future events will likely be following withdraw from the Paris agreement.
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