"We're going to cancel the Paris climate agreement- unbelievable- and stop all payments of the United States dollars to UN global warming programs."
Donald Trump who believes that climate change is a Chinese conspiracy to make US manufacturing non-competitive is now the new PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
What does this mean for the future?
Figure 1: Past and future projections of US carbon emissions based on US presidency
As the world looks to reduce carbon emissions following the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate change, Lux Research finds that, Trumps presidency could see these emissions rising again (Figure 1). Trumps vision includes greater production of fossil fuels- in particular coal, cancelling Obama's clean power plan and withdrawal from the Paris agreement.
With the United States, already at number 2, of top emitters of GHGS (WRI, 2014) . Trumps presidency could see an increase in the utilisation of coal power stations, dependency on other GHGs, and a reduction in renewables. This will cause unprecedented increases in temperature, and, in turn, have further massive global implications on extreme weather.
If the US pulls out of the Paris Climate Agreement do you think any future agreement will simply be too little too late?
ReplyDeleteI dont think it would ever bee too late for a future agreement. Right of now, we do not know what Trumps plans are, and if he will follow through with them, and to what extent.
ReplyDeleteI guess it is simply a waiting game, and right as now, carry on business as usual, especially with COPP22 currently in Marrakesh. But to start preparing the different scenarios, and possible action plans, for what the future could lay ahead.
The French president has said
“I will demand that Europe put in place a carbon tax at its border, a tax of 1-3%, for all products coming from the United States, if the United States doesn’t apply environmental rules that we are imposing on our companies,”
Just like the French President, all global leaders need to have in the forefront of their minds, that this could be the next global environmental crisis that we will be facing.