Kerry calls Trump's exit of Accord self-destructive and puts America Last

[karynnj]

https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/posts/10154386584467294

The President who promised "America First" has taken a self-destructive step that puts our nation last. This is an unprecedented forfeiture of American leadership which will cost us influence, cost us jobs, and invite other countries to walk away from solving humanity’s most existential crisis.

It isolates the United States after we had united the world.

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Those of us who have spent a lifetime fighting on this issue know that America pulling out of Paris will not only result in lost leadership, it will also result in lost momentum. If the world doesn't press forward faster, we’ll see stronger storms, longer and more intense droughts, more wildfires, more strains on agriculture and fishing, a swell of climate refugees, and, as military brass has been warning for years, intensified conflict around the world. This choice will rightly be remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made. It is a global stain on our credibility that we will spend years, if not decades, working to remove.

The president’s abdication of responsibility complicates the U.S. climate effort, but it doesn’t kill it. Today is the day for cities, states, and businesses of all sizes to publicly commit to "Live by Paris." I urge concerned citizens across America to join in this effort. Together, we can join the world by honoring the Paris Agreement, despite President Trump’s willful ignorance. Twenty-nine states have passed renewal portfolio standard laws. Another eight have adopted voluntary renewable standards. In total, those 37 states represent 80 percent of the U.S. population. America doesn't have to cede leadership even if its President has. America will not abandon the global community and put its children and grandchildren at risk. While Donald Trump may turn his back on facts and science, America will not.

[karynnj]

1. Bustle's comments on Trump's action

https://www.bustle.com/p/this-photo-of-john-kerry-his-granddaughter-signing-the-paris-deal-is-heartbreaking-61773

The day before Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, former Secretary of State John Kerry urged the president to think about the country's grandchildren in deciding the fate of the planet. It was certainly something he himself did, as a photo of Kerry signing the Paris Climate Agreement for the United States just last year showed.

In 2016, Kerry sat down with his then-2-year-old granddaughter Isabelle in his arms and signed the Paris climate deal. Just over a year later, he was telling the new president, "billions of grandkids will have to live with this decision, however it lands. Think of them, please."

The Paris Climate Agreement was solidified at the end of 2015 and signed by the United States and more than 170 other countries on Earth Day in 2016. In an attempt to combat climate change issues worldwide, nations made a voluntary agreement to try to keep the national average temperature from rising 2 degrees or more, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help poorer countries where possible. All of those goals were just guidelines — there was no punishment if the goals were not met. Kerry, a longtime climate advocate, brought his granddaughter to the official signing to underscore its importance.

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Too bad Grandpa Trump doesn't care as much for Ivanka's kids.