Trump Withdraws US from Paris Climate Deal

 

President Donald Trump¹ is withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. This makes the U.S. one of three countries to reject the international accord.

Trump said the agreement hurts the U.S. economy and American workers.

“The Paris accord would undermine our economy, hamstring our workers, weaken our sovereignty, impose unacceptable legal risk and put us at a permanent disadvantage to the other countries of the world.”

Trump condemned² the accord for requiring the U.S. to pay other countries “trillions” of dollars. Now, he says, he is putting America first.

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

Trump said he would look for a new deal that would “protect the environment, companies, citizens and the country.” But he added, “if we can, great. If we can’t that’s fine.”

The Paris accord

The agreement was made to fight global warming and pollution by reducing carbon emissions³. Many scientists and world leaders say man-made greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide are slowly warming the planet, and hurting the environment. Carbon dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels.

Others question the science. They say that climate changes are natural, and they say that the Paris accord will slow economic growth and cause higher energy costs.

195 countries supported the 2015 Paris agreement. Nicaragua and Syria did not. President Barack Obama signed the agreement shortly before he left office.

The former president criticized Trump’s decision.

In a statement he said nations that stay in the Paris agreement get “benefits in jobs and industries created.” He added, “even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’ve got.”

Many American business leaders have also asked Trump—the businessman, and now president -- to stay in the agreement. They include heads of Apple, Google, Tesla and Walmart. Even fossil fuel companies such as Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell say the United States should stay in the deal.

Michael Brune heads the Sierra Club, a group that supports environmental protection. He said in a statement, “Americans will look back at Donald Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement as one of the most ignorant and dangerous actions ever taken by any President.”

Support for Trump’s decision

Scott Pruitt, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, spoke⁴ after Trump.

He praised Trump’s decision, and said American businesses have been a leader in reducing pollution.

“For that reason, Mr. President, you have corrected a view that was paramount⁵ in Paris. That somehow the United States should penalize⁶ it’s own economy, be apologetic, lead with our chin, while the rest of the world does little. Other nations talk a good game, we lead with action not words.”

Freedom Works is a group supporting smaller government. In a statement it said staying with the agreement would cost the U.S. economy more than $2 trillion and nearly 400,000 jobs.

It called the agreement a “misguided treaty.”

Twenty-two senators from Trump’s Republican Party signed a letter last week supporting withdrawing from the agreement. It said that “remaining in it would subject the United States to significant litigation risk” that could complicate⁷ Trump’s effort to overturn Obama era regulations, known as the Clean Power Plan.

International reaction

U.S. allies around the world have expressed concern about what will happen if America pulls out of the agreement.

European leaders and Pope Francis pushed Trump to stay in the deal while he was travelling last week.

In a speech in Berlin Wednesday, Chinese Premier⁸ Li Keqiang said that fighting climate change is a “global consensus⁹” and an “international responsibility.”

“China in recent years has stayed true to its commitment,” said Li .

Critics also say that U.S. withdrawal¹⁰ from the agreement will leave a leadership hole that will be filled by China or Russia.

Words in This Story

hamstring - v. damage or ruin

sovereignty - n. a country's independent authority

greenhouse gas - – n. carbon dioxide and other gases that scientists have linked to rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere

fossil fuels - n. a fuel such as coal, oil or gas.

penalize - v. punish or give unfair advantage

litigation - n. lawsuit¹¹

consensus - n. a general agreement about something

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

6 penalize   

vt.对…处以刑罚，宣告…有罪；处罚

参考例句：

• It would be unfair to penalize those without a job.失业人员待遇低下是不公平的。
• The association decided not to penalize you for the race.赛马协会决定对你不予处罚。

7 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

8 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

9 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

10 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

11 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。