I fully expected that this nightmare of a human being would pull the United States out of the Paris Climate agreement. But news of him actually doing so hit me like a ton of bricks to the face. I will never be able to understand or fully get over how so many people are either unconcerned or worse in agreement with him. It's very hard to bear, the news is horrible over and over again. But then I read another article about California hiring laid off federal EPA workers, and making it's own deal with Scotland on climate. I closed my eyes and realized that this is more of this decentralization, because some other states will also pass legislation to limit climate change and maybe start making deals with other nations or each other. Can someone please weigh in on what this means?
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Natalie,
I also knew this was coming, and still felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.Â
On a more positive note, I saw that the governors of Washington, California, and New York are forming some sort of coalition to help combat climate change. The blue states and the blue cities in red states will need to carry on in spite of whatever nonsense the Trump administration throws at them.
I'm in a blood red town in Texas, so I'll just keep doing what I can as an individual, while I cheer on the efforts of those in the more enlightened areas of the United States.
The reaction to the Trump pull out is that Bloomberg and a coalition of several cities, states and over a hundred businesses are going to try to go to Paris and make their own agreement for sustainability. One business group has raised over a trillion dollars for sustainability.  That's a lot of power.  It fits our positive predictions that the failure of the federal government which has become a self interested corporate money making machine will cause a rising up of local governments and private entities to do the right and sensible thing. Check out this story in the NY Times.
Thank you so much Jeanne. I feel so encouraged to know that we have other options and dozens of mayors, states, and hundreds of businesses willing to step up and work to mitigate the damage.Â
It's good to remember that we are on tract to a new world by the people for the people as corrupt politicians and systems are exposed and new realizations come tonight that we are all part of the change we need to be.
Link similar to one Jeanne shared but somehow disappeared from view.
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/american-cities-climate-standards.html
Thank you everyone. It makes me feel better reading your responses, and also the backlash that's come up because of this news. Its incredible how the predictions made months ago are beginning to play out in real life. I can see the trends of what's going on and it's very interesting. I live in a blue area, I can't even understand what it's like living in a red area. I hope and pray that everyone finds some solace and solidarity in the people around them. Btw I love the name pickle and mayo, it's great.
Im still shocked about what happened . Lets hope rest of the world stick to the Paris agreement, and I hope in 4 years US will get someone smarter as a president. For now the world is stuck with this disaster of a person who clearly doesnt believe in science, facts , climate change. I wonder if he truly is that ignorant himself or he is simply trying to please his ignorant voters.Â
Dina he is that ignorant. When in Europe the leaders took Trump aside and in simple terms tried to explain the Paris Accord to him but they don't think he understood. I said all along that he wasn't announcing until after he came back because he needed someone to explain it to him. I assume he still didn't understand and allowed Bannon to convince him to end it. Bannon is far more dangerous than Trump because Bannon knows exactly what he's doing. He also did believe that was what his voters wanted and is now confused as to why so many are against him for this.
While many have wondered what Trump really understands about climate change..this news item was released online 1 hour ago:
During an interview with "Face The Nation," UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said that Trump "believes the climate is changing, and he believes pollutants are part of that equation."
Well then.....