The Paris Climate Agreement [1 ed.] 9781532158292, 9781532116803

Citation preview

SPECIAL REPORTS

THE PARIS CLIMATE

SPECIAL REPORTS Essential Library

‰ Š Š‹ Š‹ Š ‹Š ‹ Š † Š‹ Š Š Š Š †Š ‰Š

9

90000

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

TITLES IN THIS SET

I S B N 978-1-5321-1680-3

AGREEMENT

The Paris Climate Agreement

#MarchForOurLives #MeToo #DefendDACA. Today, there is a hashtag for just about every trending topic or issue. But do we really understand the stories behind the hashtags? Keeping up with current events is more important than ever. Special Reports takes you beyond the headlines of some of the biggest issues and events in US and world news today. Learn the background and history that will allow you to distinguish between opinion and fact. In the age of social media, everyone is a reporter. Be an informed one.

781532 116803 Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_COV.indd 1

8/31/18 11:36 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

SPECIAL REPORTS

THE PARIS CLIMATE

AGREEMENT DUCHESS HARRIS, JD, PHD

WITH

REBECCA ROWELL

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

BY

Essential Library

An Imprint of Abdo Publishing | abdobooks.com

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 1

9/28/18 8:39 AM

abdobooks.com Published by Abdo Publishing, a di v ision of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2019 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reser ved in all countries. No par t of this book may be reproduced in any form without writ ten permission from the publisher. Essential Library™ is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America, Nor th Mankato, Minnesota 092018 012019

Cover Photo: Francois Mori/AP Images Interior Photos: Andrew Harnik/AP Images, 4–5; Red Line Editorial, 9, 28; Pablo Mar tinez Monsi vais/AP Images, 12; Jacques Wit t/Pool/Abaca/Sipa USA /AP Images, 14; Ellio Blondet/Abaca Press/Sipa USA /AP Images, 16–17; iStockphoto, 18–19, 31; akg-images/Newscom, 23; Doug Mills/AP Images, 25; Evan Vucci/AP Images, 32–33; Miyata/Jiji Press/Newscom, 36; Apaydin Alain/Sipa USA /AP Images, 40; Francois Guillot/AFP/Get ty Images, 45; Karl Spencer/iStockphoto, 46–47; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP Images, 52; Susan Walsh/AP Images, 57; George Sheldon/Shut terstock Images, 58–59; Shut terstock Images, 63; Denis Allard/Pool/Abaca/Sipa USA /AP Images, 64; Michael Conroy/AP Images, 69; Dav id Goldman/AP Images, 71; Brit ta Pedersen/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images, 72–73; Christian Liewig/Abaca/Sipa USA / AP Images, 79; Francis Gardler/Lincoln Journal Star/AP Images, 82–83; Joseph Sohm/Shut terstock Images, 84; Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto/Sipa USA /AP Images, 89; Xuan Huongho/Shut terstock Images, 91; Andrea Baldo/NurPhoto/Sipa USA /AP Images, 92–93; Mar tin Meissner/AP Images, 95, 99 Editor: Alyssa Krekelberg Series Designer: Maggie Villaume

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018948244 Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Harris, Duchess, author. | Rowell, Rebecca, author. Title: The Paris climate agreement / by Duchess Harris and Rebecca Rowell. Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Publishing, 2019 | Series: Special repor ts set 4 | Includes online resources and index. Identifiers: ISBN 9781532116803 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781532159640 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Greenhouse gas mitigation--Juvenile literature. | Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions--Juvenile literature. | Climate change--Juvenile literature. | Air--Pollution--Law and legislation--Juvenile literature. Classification: DDC 363.738746--dc23

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 2

9/28/18 8:39 AM

Contents Chapter One

“We’re Getting Out”

4

Chapter Two

About Climate Change

18

Chapter Three

About the Agreement

32

Chapter Four

Reasons to Participate

46

Chapter Five

Reasons to Withdraw

58

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Chapter Six

Leaving the Agreement

72

Chapter Seven

Americans Respond

82

Chapter Eight

What Lies Ahead

92

Essential Facts

100

Source Notes

106

Glossary

102

Index

110

Additional Resources

104

About the Authors

112

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 3

9/28/18 8:39 AM

CHAPTER ONE

“WE’RE

Getting Out”

O

n June 1, 2017, President Donald Trump held a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House. Scott Pruitt, the head of the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was by his side. Trump spoke with the media about a topic important

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

to countless Americans and people around the world: the climate. He shared his decision about continued US participation in the Paris Agreement—also known as the Paris climate agreement—which is an international project to fight climate change. Trump said the agreement was not in the best interest of the United States. Simply put, he said, “We’re getting out.”1 Until Trump’s announcement, the United States had been working to fight climate change through President Donald Trump, left, and Scot t Pruit t defended their decision to remove the United States from the Paris climate agreement. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 4

9/28/18 8:39 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 5

9/28/18 8:39 AM

the agreement. The United States was part of a group

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

SCOTT PRUITT After Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, he turned the microphone over to Pruitt. Pruitt praised Trump’s decision. Before Pruitt become the head of the EPA in 2017, he served as the attorney general of Oklahoma. In that role, he sued the EPA several times over regulations designed to control pollution. When he became the head of the organization, he worked to undo environmental regulations. Most notably, in late 2017, he worked to repeal the Clean Power Plan, which limits greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Pruitt tried to stop the law while he was attorney general of Oklahoma. He claimed that President Barack Obama had overstepped his authority as president when he created the rule. Pruitt’s efforts were applauded in the fossil fuel and automotive sectors. However, after facing several months of ethical scandals, Pruitt resigned as EPA secretary on July 5, 2018.

of Paris climate agreement participants that included almost every nation on the planet. These nations agreed to the components outlined in the international accord, including curbing global warming, limiting greenhouse gases, and checking up on each other’s efforts toward limiting greenhouse gases. Wealthy countries took on an additional goal, agreeing to fund poorer countries’ efforts to adapt to climate change and start using renewable energy. This last facet of the

agreement could be financially costly to some participants. This is especially true of developed nations, which are leading the charge in energy reform and fighting climate

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 6

9/28/18 8:39 AM

change. Several of these nations are responsible for creating

JOHN REILLY’S STUDY

climate change. At the time of

During his speech about withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, Trump mentioned a climate study. According to Trump, the study claims the agreement will result in a change of only 0.2 of a degree Celsius (0.1 º F) by 2100. Trump’s number was wrong and considerably lower than the correct amounts. The study was by John Reilly, codirector of the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had reported that the effect of the agreement could be 1.08 to 1.98 degrees Fahrenheit (0.6 to 1.1 º C) in five to ten years. 3 The higher of these numbers is more than half of the 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 º C) goal set forth by the Paris Agreement. Reilly responded to the president’s misstatement: “The whole statement seemed to suggest a complete misunderstanding of the climate problem. I think Paris was a very good deal for the United States, contrary to what they are claiming.” 4

Trump’s announcement, the United States had pledged the most money to finance the agreement: $3 billion. However, at the time of the announcement it had contributed about $1 billion.2 Even with Trump’s declaration, the United States

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

was still part of the Paris climate agreement. According to its terms, an official withdrawal could not happen until late 2020, which left time for the United States to rejoin.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION For Trump, the decision was about economics. He explained, “This agreement is less about the climate and

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 7

9/28/18 8:39 AM

more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States.”5 The president was following through on a campaign promise to pull the United States out of the international

“WE OWE NO APOLOGIES TO OTHER NATIONS FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.” 7 —SCOTT PRUITT, HEAD OF THE EPA, IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S WITHDRAWAL ANNOUNCEMENT

effort. His announcement also reflected the focus of his campaign: “America First.”6 Trump’s decision put the United States on an extremely

short list of countries not participating in the plan. At the time, Nicaragua and Syria were the only nations that had not joined the international effort.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Different people and groups had pushed Trump to not pull the United States out of the agreement. But the president believed the Paris climate agreement was not in the best interest of the United States, especially for the country’s workers. Trump supports the fossil fuel industry and sees the focus on alternative energy as harmful to the United States. He explained that the United States has great amounts of fossil fuels and that joining the agreement would mean not using those resources. As a

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 8

9/28/18 8:39 AM

TRUMP VOTERS AND

THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT 9 The United States should participate

28%

47%

25%

Don’t know whether the United States should participate

The United States should not participate

In 2016, almost one-half of people who voted for Trump believed the United States should par ticipate in the Paris climate agreement.

result, he said, factories would close, workers would lose

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

jobs, and the US economy would suffer. During his speech on June 1, the president spoke in support of making the environment better. He said the United States is “going to have the cleanest air. We’re going to have the cleanest water.” However, those things would not be at the expense of American workers. Trump explained, “We will be environmentally friendly but we’re not going to put our businesses out of work, we’re not going to lose our jobs.”8

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 9

9/28/18 8:39 AM

That day, Trump also made it clear that being part of the Paris Agreement was not out of the question. The president announced he was willing to work for an agreement that is, in his opinion, better for the nation. For him, that meant renegotiating the Paris climate agreement or negotiating a new agreement: “I will work to ensure that America remains the world’s leader on environmental issues, but under a framework that is fair and where the burdens and responsibilities are equally shared among the many nations all around the world.”10

THE RESPONSE Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Trump’s declaration on June 1 didn’t surprise many people. He had been saying for months he would end US participation in the agreement. But for many Americans, the president’s decision was disappointing. Barack Obama, Trump’s predecessor, was quick to respond, sharing his disapproval and his hope for others to keep fighting climate change: The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 10

9/28/18 8:39 AM

MORE TO THE

STORY

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

PITTSBURGH’S MAYOR RESPONDS On June 3, 2017, two days after Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, mayor Bill Peduto spoke in favor of the agreement. When Trump announced his decision, the president mentioned Pittsburgh. He said the people of Pittsburgh had voted for him, not the people of Paris. But many Pittsburghers disagreed with Trump’s decision. Peduto was among them. He said, “Pittsburgh is the shining example of what the Paris agreement is all about.”11 Pittsburgh has a strong history of producing steel and causing pollution. Peduto highlighted how the city has changed in recent years: “Look to Pittsburgh to see how over this 30 years we’re no longer producing big steel, but we’re producing big ideas and big products to make the economy of all of southwestern PA stronger and understand that we are all on this planet together and that the only way we’re going to be able to do great things is by working together.”12 Pittsburgh has embraced the climate change battle. Clean energy has led to thousands of new jobs. And the former steel city has become a thriving market for technology and health care. Peduto pledged to make Pittsburgh reliant on only clean energy by 2035.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 11

9/28/18 8:39 AM

pack. But even in the absence of American leadership; 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.13

Critics of Trump’s decision included leaders of other nations. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, released a statement expressing his disappointment. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, responded with a speech. He used words based on Trump’s campaign pledge to “Make America Great Again.” Macron said, “I do respect this decision, but I do think it is an actual mistake both for the US and for our planet. Wherever we live, whoever we

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

are, we all share the same responsibility: make our planet great again.”14 Justin Trudeau and Barack Obama worked closely together during Obama’s time in of fice.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 12

9/28/18 8:40 AM

MOVING ON After Trump’s announcement in June 2017, the United States moved forward with exiting the international agreement. On August 4, 2017, the US government officially notified the United Nations (UN), which oversees the agreement, that the United States was withdrawing. As the United States moved

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

away from participating in the

NOTIFYING THE UNITED NATIONS The UN oversees the Paris Agreement. On August 4, 2017, the US government officially notified the UN that the United States was withdrawing from the agreement. The US Department of State explained the move in a statement to the media. The statement said that the country wants a climate plan that both decreases greenhouse gases and supports financial improvement and energy. The statement went on to say that the United States will focus on “technology breakthroughs” that reduce emissions while partnering with other nations “to help them access and use fossil fuels more cleanly and efficiently and deploy renewable and other clean energy sources.” 15

international agreement, other nations continued to take part. In December 2017, Macron held a two-day meeting in Paris, France. He invited 50 world leaders to attend the One Planet Summit to discuss climate issues, including how to pay for moving away from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy. Macron did not invite Trump to the gathering, though he explained that he would have if Trump had said he

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 13

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 14

9/28/18 3:29 PM

would “join the club.”16 Trump did not change his mind. Trump has said he is willing to rejoin if the terms of the agreement are renegotiated to be fairer to the United States. Macron has said that changing the agreement is not an option, explaining, “You cannot renegotiate with more than 180 or 190 countries.”17

“WE ARE CLOSE TO THE TIPPING POINT WHERE GLOBAL WARMING BECOMES IRREVERSIBLE.” 18

Taking part in the Paris climate agreement is an easy

—STEPHEN HAWKING, A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST, IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S DECISION

decision for some countries, and not taking part in the agreement is seen as the right choice by others. While the agreement focuses on climate

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

change, US participation encompasses issues beyond that topic. Deciding whether to participate has potential effects on the economy and on international relations. The consequences of being part of the agreement could last for years. To assess whether the Paris climate agreement is good for the United States, it is important to understand what the agreement is and what participation entails.

Macron v isited the United States af ter Trump’s announcement and discussed the Paris Agreement with him. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 15

9/28/18 8:40 AM

FROM THE

HEADLINES Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

MAKING THE PLANET GREAT AGAIN

During the climate summit in Paris in December 2017, Macron awarded several grants. He gave millions of dollars to 13 US scientists. The money was for them to move to France for the remainder of Trump’s presidency as a way to rebel against Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The grant program is called Make Our Planet Great Again. The awards were not a surprise. Macron announced his contest on June 1, 2017, a few hours after Trump said the United States would not take part in the Paris climate agreement. More than 5,000 people applied to receive grant money.19 They represented dozens of countries. The scientists who received grants study clouds, hurricanes, and pollution. Funding under this program is expected to support approximately 50 projects. The first year focused on American scientists. Subsequent rounds will include scientists of other nationalities. Macron explained, “If we want to prepare for the changes of tomorrow, we need science.”20

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 16

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

E mmanuel Macr on ga v e a speech t o t he US Congr ess in 20 18. He said Fr ance and t he Uni t ed Sta t es should come t oge t her to f igh t cl ima t e change.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 17

9/28/18 8:40 AM

CHAPTER TWO

ABOUT CLIMATE

Change

T

o understand why the Paris climate agreement exists, it is helpful to understand what climate and climate change are. Many people confuse

climate and weather. But they are different concepts. The difference has to do with time. Weather occurs over

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

a short period of time. Climate is a long-term pattern in weather conditions. Weather lasts minutes to months. People often think of weather as temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, and wind. In many places on the planet, weather changes from season to season. It can also change by the day, hour, and minute. Climate is about trends over longer periods of time. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration

One potential ef fect of climate change is more intense heat waves. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 18

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 19

9/28/18 8:40 AM

“GLOBAL CLIMATE DISRUPTION IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR FUTURE.”4 —AL GORE, US VICE PRESIDENT, 1997 SPEECH

(NASA) explains the difference between weather and climate: “An easy way to remember the difference is that climate is what you expect, like a very

hot summer, and weather is what you get, like a hot day with pop-up thunderstorms.”1 Or, put more simply, NASA notes, “Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.”2 Climate change, then, is change in long-term weather patterns. Global warming is an increase in the temperature of the planet’s surface. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Administration (NOAA), an agency of the US government, “Global warming refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature, while climate change includes warming and the ‘side effects’ of warming.”3

EARLY THOUGHTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change is not a new subject. As many as 2,000 years ago, people entertained the idea. Some ancient Greeks suggested that humans had the ability to change

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 20

9/28/18 8:40 AM

temperatures and cause rain by cutting down trees, plowing land, or watering deserts. People’s first ideas regarding climate change focused on local climate. Thinking about climate on a global scale emerged in the 1820s with Joseph Fourier. This French mathematician and physicist theorized that energy from sunlight reaching Earth needed to be balanced by energy from Earth going back to space. Fourier thought Earth’s atmosphere kept some energy from escaping to space, and

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

that energy warms the planet. Fourier compared Earth and its atmosphere to a greenhouse. Just as a greenhouse lets sunlight pass through its glass walls and keeps the warmth inside, Earth’s atmosphere allows energy in and then holds some of it.

FEDERAL AGENCIES STUDYING CLIMATE Multiple US government agencies study climate change. One is NOAA. Another is the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). The CPC makes short-term climate predictions in the United States. The CPC is most known for its forecasts of how the US climate will be affected by weather conditions in the Pacific Ocean. The CPC monitors the land, ocean, and atmosphere, including the stratosphere. The stratosphere is one of four layers in Earth’s atmosphere, and the ozone layer is in the stratosphere. NASA also studies Earth. Using satellite data and computers, NASA measures ground temperatures worldwide and tracks their increases. According to NASA, “Climate prediction is very useful in various industries, including agriculture, energy, transportation, water resources, and health.” 5

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 21

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Fourier’s comparison was a bit simpler than what really happens, but his idea of the greenhouse effect caught on. In the 1860s, Irish scientist John Tyndall investigated which gases might absorb the most sunlight. His research revealed

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

THE ATMOSPHERE AND EARTH Compared with other planets in the solar system, Earth has temperatures that are mild and constant. That’s because Earth’s atmosphere protects the planet. The atmosphere is a layer of gases. Gases in Earth’s atmosphere can trap heat or reflect it. The atmosphere protects Earth, and everything on it, from the sun’s radiation. Radiation that reaches the planet is reflected back to space. Earth needs to maintain a delicate balance of this radiation. If there were too much, the planet would be too hot. With too little radiation, Earth would be too cold, making life impossible.

that carbon dioxide soaked up the sun’s energy like a sponge.

CALCULATING A WARMER PLANET Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius also studied carbon dioxide. He wanted to know if lowering levels of carbon dioxide could cool the planet. In the 1890s, he determined that cutting carbon dioxide levels in half could lower global

temperatures by approximately 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5ºC). Arrhenius then explored the opposite effect and what could happen if carbon dioxide levels were doubled instead of halved. The amount of change was the same Throughout his career, Svante Arrhenius worked in the fields of physics and chemistry.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 22

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 23

9/28/18 8:40 AM

but in the opposite direction. His calculations showed an increase of approximately 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5ºC). Arrhenius was not alarmed by the idea of the increase. He wrote, “We may hope to enjoy ages with more equable and better climates, especially as regards the colder regions of the earth.”6 Several decades later, British engineer Guy Stewart Callendar made his own calculations. By the 1930s, according to Callendar, carbon dioxide emissions could already have warmed the planet. He pointed to the United States and the North Atlantic specifically, saying temperatures in these regions had already warmed

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

because of the Industrial Revolution. This period in the 1700s and 1800s was a time of rapid, substantial change and economic growth in England and the United States that resulted from the use of powered machines. Burning fossil fuels, such as coal, produces power. It also adds carbon dioxide, as well as other greenhouse gases, to the atmosphere. According to Callendar’s math, doubling the amount of carbon dioxide might increase the planet’s temperatures by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2ºC).7

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 24

9/28/18 8:40 AM

KEELING CURVE In 1953, US scientist Charles Keeling started taking readings of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere around Pasadena, California. He expanded his readings to other areas, including the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and mountains in Arizona. The locations were very different, but a pattern appeared. Carbon dioxide increased at night and reached a low point in the afternoon. Keeling determined the jump each night was from plants. Plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis—the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

President George W. Bush presented Charles Keeling with the National Medal of Science in 2002.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 25

9/28/18 8:40 AM

process in which they use sunlight to convert the carbon dioxide and water into food. During the day, they take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen. At night, the opposite is true: Plants take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Keeling expanded his research to other areas. He added Antarctica and Hawaii to his pool of locations. In Hawaii, he took readings at Mauna Loa Observatory. There, in 1958 and 1959, he saw carbon dioxide levels reach their highest level in May and lowest level in October. He once said of the data, “We were witnessing for the first time nature’s withdrawing [of carbon dioxide] from the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

air for plant growth during summer and returning it each succeeding winter.”8 The observation provided a new understanding of the planet, but Keeling realized something more important. Each year, the atmosphere had more carbon dioxide because of the burning of fossil fuels. More than that, the rate of increase was growing each year. Keeling demonstrated the growth in a graph that curved upward. That graph is now called the Keeling Curve.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 26

9/28/18 8:40 AM

The computer age brought new information in the 1960s. Computer models suggested what might happen as a result of the rise in carbon dioxide that the Keeling Curve showed. Computers estimated that doubling the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere might increase temperatures by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2ºC).9 They predicted the increase would happen within the next 100 years, or by the 2060s.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

1970S AND 1980S The 1970s brought to light a very different idea about Earth’s climate. Some people worried the planet might cool. Instead of trapping heat, some

US GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM The US government has a program dedicated to researching climate change. The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was created to “assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” 10 The USGCRP has four goals: advance science, inform decisions, conduct sustained assessments, and communicate and educate. Many federal agencies take part in the program. They include the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.

researchers thought pollution would have the opposite effect and block sunlight. This would cause Earth’s temperatures to drop.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 27

9/28/18 8:40 AM

INCREASE IN

GLOBAL TEMPERATURE11 Temperature Anomaly (°C)

1.0

0.5

0.0

-0.5

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2017

Ear th’s temperature has been steadily increasing for decades. NASA averaged temperatures bet ween 1951 and 1980 to set a baseline for this data. The anomalies show how far below or above that baseline global temperatures have been.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

From 1940 to 1970, the planet did cool. The cause was an increase in aerosol pollutants. These pollutants reflect sunlight, keeping it from reaching the planet’s surface. The United States and Europe worked to decrease aerosol emissions. And the idea and worry about global cooling did not last long—and neither did decreasing global temperatures. In the 1980s, temperatures jumped dramatically. The year 1988 stands out for some scientists. That year was the hottest recorded at that point. Many people started seeing

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 28

9/28/18 8:40 AM

global warming as a real threat. It was not something that would happen in the future. It was happening already. The following year,

“IF CONGRESS WON’T ACT SOON TO PROTECT FUTURE GENERATIONS, I WILL.” 12 —BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT, DISCUSSING CLIMATE CHANGE DURING THE 2013 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

1989, the UN created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The goal of this project was to look at climate change scientifically, politically, and economically. Other UN climate change efforts soon developed, including the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Kyoto Protocol and then the Paris climate agreement.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 29

9/28/18 8:40 AM

FROM THE

HEADLINES Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

“NO CONVINCING ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION” On November 3, 2017, the Trump administration made public a 2,000-page report stating that humans are the main cause of global warming. The report was written by dozens of people from a variety of federal agencies and academic institutions, and it was published by the US Global Change Research Program. The report said, “It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. For the warming over the last century, there is no convincing alternative explanation supported by the extent of the observational evidence.”13 This statement is contrary to the administration’s stance on climate change. It also does not fit with Trump’s actions regarding the Paris climate agreement and other environmental initiatives. For example, Trump promotes coal and other fossil fuels, and he has focused on undoing Obama’s work to protect the environment. Some scientists thought the White House might not release the report.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 30

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Coal po w er plan t s con t r ibu t e t o cl ima t e change.

White House spokesperson Raj Shah discussed the report. He minimized the importance of its findings: “The climate has changed and is always changing. As the Climate Science Special Report states, the magnitude of future climate change depends significantly on ‘remaining uncertainty in the sensitivity of Earth’s climate to [greenhouse gas] emissions.’”14

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 31

9/28/18 8:40 AM

CHAPTER THREE

ABOUT THE

Agreement

M

any people believe that the Paris climate agreement is an extraordinary achievement. It has united the majority of the world’s nations

in a singular effort. But the Paris Agreement is not the first international effort to help the environment.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The first major international effort by nations to fight the effects of pollution in the atmosphere started in the 1980s.

THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL In September 1987, leaders from dozens of nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. The treaty was their agreement to decrease the production and use of President Obama joined the Paris Agreement because he wanted to protect the planet.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 32

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 33

9/28/18 8:40 AM

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. Sources of CFCs include aerosol sprays and refrigerants. Halons are substances that put out fire. CFCs and halons deplete the ozone. The ozone is an important layer in Earth’s atmosphere. The ozone layer absorbs harmful sunlight. A decrease in the layer means more of the sun’s ultraviolet

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

MITIGATE, ADAPT, OR SUFFER People have three options in response to climate change: mitigate, adapt, or suffer. Mitigation is decreasing climate change. It includes lowering emissions and leveling off the amount of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Adaptation is changing to survive—or thrive—in the new climate. According to the NASA, “The goal [of adaptation] is to reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change (like sea-level encroachment, more intense extreme weather events, or food insecurity). It also encompasses making the most of any potential beneficial opportunities associated with change (for example, longer growing seasons or increased yields in some regions).” 2 The other option is to suffer. Humans can reduce the amount of suffering climate change causes by making big efforts at mitigation and adaptation.

rays reach the planet, which increases the likelihood of sun-related health issues. The treaty officially took effect on January 1, 1989. It had a goal of lowering levels of CFCs and halons to 80 percent of 1986 levels within five years. It also strove to lower those levels to 50 percent of 1986 levels by 1999.1 The treaty changed over time to end the manufacturing and use of CFCs and halons completely, plus other chemicals.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 34

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Despite the treaty, ozone depletion continued throughout the 1990s and 2000s. But numerous scientists think Earth’s ozone layer will improve. Research has shown that the ozone layer would have collapsed by 2050 without the efforts created by the protocol. According to the EPA, for people born between 1890 and 2100, the United States alone would have had more than 280 million more cases of skin cancer and approximately 1.6 million more deaths from skin cancer.3

THE UNFCCC As the UN and world leaders focused more on the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

environment, other international agreements developed. In 1992, the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee agreed to text creating the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—an environmental treaty. Government officials from several countries met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to sign the treaty. The signers agreed to work on keeping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that would not change Earth’s climate. But the treaty did not include details,

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 35

9/28/18 8:40 AM

such as specific goals. It was only a formal agreement of the intention.

THE KYOTO PROTOCOL A few years after the UNFCCC formed, the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC emerged as the first addition to the UNFCCC. The signers adopted the treaty at a meeting in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. The goal of the treaty was to decrease the amount of gases that cause climate change. The effort focused on six greenhouse gases. The main gas the treaty focused on was carbon dioxide. The others were methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons,

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hydrofluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The goal date for reduction was 2012. World representati ves at tended the meeting for the Kyoto Protocol.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 36

9/28/18 8:40 AM

The Kyoto Protocol went into effect in 2005. It aimed to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union and 41 countries to 5.2 percent less than the 1990 levels.4 The protocol included a variety of methods for participating countries to achieve their goals. For example, planting trees would help because they pull carbon dioxide from the air. Within a few years, issues with the Kyoto Protocol emerged. They included reports that most of the participating countries would not achieve their emission goals. In addition, even if participants met their goals, the environment would not improve significantly. This was

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

because China and the United States, the top two emitters of greenhouse gases, were not part of the treaty. China was considered a developing country and exempt from it, while the United States had not ratified the treaty. Even without these two major players joining the treaty, participants did not give up on the Kyoto Protocol. In 2012, representatives meeting in Qatar, a country in the Middle East, extended the Kyoto Protocol to 2020. At that time, they committed to developing a new and stronger treaty by 2015.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 37

9/28/18 8:40 AM

THE TWENTY-FIRST SESSION With this commitment in mind, delegates met in late 2015 to discuss the planet’s climate. Representatives from many countries attended the UN’s meeting in Paris from November 30 to December 11. It was the twenty-first session, or meeting, of the UNFCCC members. The objective was to create a treaty stronger than those of the past. This agreement had a specific and ambitious goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep temperatures worldwide from increasing more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2ºC) from levels before the 1800s, when the Industrial Revolution occurred.5

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

In 2015, surface and land temperatures were on the rise. This could make the temperature goals more challenging to achieve. Data showed Earth’s temperatures had increased almost two degrees Fahrenheit (1ºC) since the late 1800s. That meant participants in the new treaty would agree to limit the planet’s warming to only one or two more degrees Fahrenheit (1ºC).6 Before the meeting in Paris, the UN gave participants an assignment. Each country was to create an intended

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 38

9/28/18 8:40 AM

nationally determined contribution (INDC)—a plan for how it would decrease greenhouse emissions. By the end of the meeting, 185 nations gave the UN their INDCs. Each INDC was designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2025 or 2030. Nations that participated included those that emit the most greenhouse gases, such as China, Europe,

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

India, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. One topic of the Paris negotiations was money. While most nations submitted INDCs,

ISLAND NATIONS AND INCREASED TEMPERATURES For some Paris Agreement delegates, the goal of limiting Earth’s warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 º C) was not enough. They fought for 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 º C). The delegates chose that tougher number because they are from island nations, which will suffer more from a change of two degrees Fahrenheit (3.6 º C) than non-island nations. As Tony de Brum, the foreign minister of the Marshall Islands, explained, “We cannot be expected to sign off on a small island death warrant here in Paris. Anything over 2 degrees [Celsius] is a death warrant for us. It means the sea level will rise above . . . our level of the islands. It means the islands go under.” 7 The Marshall Islands, which are between the Philippines and Hawaii, have already experienced the effects of climate change in terms of higher water levels. Higher water levels have resulted in the destruction of sea walls, coconut trees, and graves.

not all of the participants would be able to pay for their plans on their own. For example, India’s INDC included cutting emissions by 33 to 35 percent by 2030. By that time, India also planned to get

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 39

9/28/18 8:40 AM

People in Paris showed their suppor t for the 2015 meeting.

approximately 40 percent of its electricity from sources other than fossil fuels.8 But India explained that it would not be able to put its INDC into effect because it couldn’t pay for the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

necessary changes, such as implementing technology to get approximately 40 percent of its electricity from sources other than fossil fuels. The reason was that India is fighting poverty. According to Indian officials, achieving the goals in its INDC would require trillions of dollars and technology from more-developed countries. During the 2015 climate summit, the representatives from countries that are more industrialized expressed concern about the financial costs of taking part in the new climate agreement. They did not want to be responsible for all nations’ expenses.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 40

9/28/18 8:40 AM

MORE TO THE

STORY

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

GREEN CLIMATE FUND The UNFCCC created the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in 2010. The purpose of the GCF is to provide money to developing nations to stop climate change. Spending of the fund’s money is based on decisions all UNFCCC participants agree to. The GCF began seeking money in 2014 and quickly gained support from developed countries and some developing countries. The city of Paris also agreed to give money to the fund. Pledges totaled to billions of dollars. The role of the GCF is to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. That includes limiting the amount of climate change to less than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2º C). According to the GCF’s website, “The Fund pays particular attention to the needs of societies that are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate, in particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States.”9 The GCF’s first full year of being active was 2016. That year, the GCF planned to provide more than $1.5 billion to support 35 projects.10 A board oversees the GCF. Its members serve a few years and represent developed and developing countries.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 41

9/28/18 8:40 AM

The representatives in Paris discussed and negotiated the terms of the treaty. Obama was president of the United States at the time and attended the summit. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and delegates from the world’s least industrialized nations. Laurent Fabius, France’s foreign minister, oversaw the summit. He called a meeting at 8:00 p.m. on December 9 where all countries could talk. The meeting lasted until the next morning. But more discussion on the agreement was needed. Leaders called each other to work out the agreement. Negotiations continued for two more days.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The diplomats would not give up. They were determined to come to an agreement all the nations would support.

THE PARIS AGREEMENT On December 12, 2015, the day after the conference ended, Fabius declared that the participants had come to an agreement. The diplomats erupted in celebration. Tens of thousands of people attended the summit as spectators. They were outside the meeting venue. They stood and clapped.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 42

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Kumi Naidoo, head of the nonprofit environmental group Greenpeace International, was in Paris for the historic achievement. He spoke about the mood after Fabius’s announcement: It sometimes seems that the countries of the UN can unite on nothing, but nearly 200 countries have come together and agreed [on] a deal. Today, the human race has joined in a common cause. The Paris agreement is only one step on a long road . . . but it is progress.11

The resulting treaty is known as the Paris Agreement. The agreement has several goals. One goal is to limit Earth’s warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2ºC), or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5ºC) if possible. In addition, the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

delegates decided that wealthy nations must provide a minimum of $100 billion from 2020 to 2025 to support developing nations.12 Developed nations also have to be leaders in cutting greenhouse gases and are tasked with improving their efforts to cut these gases. The agreement also strives to get greenhouse emissions to peak as quickly as

“THE DEAL ALONE WON’T DIG US OUT OF THE HOLE THAT WE’RE IN, BUT IT MAKES THE SIDES LESS STEEP.” 13 —KUMI NAIDOO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 43

9/28/18 8:40 AM

possible. Because developing economies use more energy, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to continue to increase. As participants work toward cutting emissions and taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, the planet will reach a point where emissions will decline. The point where that starts to happen will be the emissions peak, and the goal is to make that happen as quickly as possible. The world is estimated to reach peak emissions in approximately 2030 or later. On April 22, 2016—Earth Day—diplomats from 175 nations signed the agreement.14 The United States was one of these nations.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

A SYMBOLIC WIN For many climate scientists and social scientists who work on climate-related issues, the Paris Agreement is more of a symbolic win than anything. Some critics have said that the 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2ºC) goal is random or even not enough to help the planet. In 2007, the UN released a report saying the goal was achievable if nations started decreasing emissions immediately, but that did not happen. A more recent report in 2014 said the goal is still attainable if nations work toward even more reductions

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 44

9/28/18 8:40 AM

.

and if people remove considerable amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That seems unlikely. Climate policy analyst Oliver Geden said about the target, “At some point, scientists will have to declare that it’s game over for the 2ºC target. But they haven’t yet. Because nobody knows what will happen if they call this thing off.”15 However, the goal is set and is something for the participants to work toward. Before the agreement, the nations of the world were not focused and united on the topic of climate change the way they are as a result of the Paris climate agreement. The historic accord includes pledges to decrease carbon dioxide emissions from both

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

developed nations and developing nations. Leaders, such as Laurent Fabius, second from right, and UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, second from left, celebrated the adoption of the Paris Agreement.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 45

9/28/18 8:40 AM

CHAPTER FOUR

REASONS TO

Participate

W

hen considering participation in the Paris climate agreement, looking at the pros and cons is crucial. Many Americans and other

people around the world want the United States to

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

participate in the treaty. To them, the benefits are clear.

FIGHTING DANGER Climate change is already affecting people around the world, including the United States. One change is flooding. Climate change plays a role in flooding in two ways. Firstly, approximately 60 percent of the precipitation over land comes from oceans.1 Global warming is making the oceans evaporate faster, putting more moisture into the air. Secondly, the warming of Bet ween January 2015 and June 2016, hundreds of people died in the United States due to flooding.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 46

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 47

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Earth’s atmosphere makes it able to hold more moisture. The result is more rain and heavier downpours. Flooding is happening in some coastal US cities more often during high tide and storms than in decades past. For example, Charleston, South Carolina, had 50 days of tidal flooding in 2016 and four in 1966. NOAA forecasted in a 2018 report that high-tide flooding will happen 182 days

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

REASONS TO STAY The day Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the Washington Post published an article analyzing the decision. Journalist Philip Bump provided various reasons why he believed the president’s decision did not make sense. He noted that climate change poses a real danger. He also said that climate change could be troublesome to Trump personally. The president owns properties near the ocean, and flooding from rising sea levels could damage them. In addition, the United States has already started to move toward a greener economy—a shift that is not bad for employment, which Trump suggested. Bump argued that Trump’s decision showed his lack of understanding regarding the role of the United States as a global leader.

per year in some coastal areas.2 Flooding has also caused trouble inland for people living near major rivers. As a result, the cost for insurance in some of these areas is either increasing or no longer available. Climate change is increasing flooding another way. In 2018, the National Center for Atmospheric Research reported that increased temperatures have made hurricanes slower

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 48

9/28/18 8:40 AM

and wetter. That means a storm will stay over an area longer and drop more rain. The climate in some parts of the United States has become hotter and drier. These changes have led to more wildfires in the West. The wildfire season is longer than it used to be, and the fires are burning more land. Hundreds of experts reported on the effects of climate change in the United States. In their 2014 report, called the National Climate Assessment, the authors stated that the United States is getting warmer. The authors noted how this warming will affect more than the weather: The observed warming and other climatic changes are triggering wide-ranging impacts in every region of our country Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

and throughout our economy. Some of these changes can be beneficial over the short run, such as a longer growing season in some regions and a longer shipping season on the Great Lakes. But many more are detrimental, largely because our society and its infrastructure were designed for the climate that we have had, not the rapidly changing climate we now have and can expect in the future. In addition, climate change does not occur in isolation. Rather, it is superimposed on other stresses, which combine to create new challenges.3

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 49

9/28/18 8:40 AM

MORE TO THE

STORY

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATIONAL SECURITY Climate change affects the environment, animals, and people. It also affects national security. As Chloe Thompson, a researcher at the American Foreign Policy Council explained, “Environmental changes have the potential to significantly affect the movement of populations, the availability of resources and the stability of governments. The results can be famine, drought, disease and a rise in global conflict.”4 Climate change already affects at least one US military base: the US Navy’s Atlantic fleet headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. The base was built in the 1910s. Water there is 14.5 inches (37 cm) higher now than when the base was built, and it floods ten times a year.5 Flooding interferes with normal operation of the base. For more than ten years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has been preparing for climate change. In a 2015 report, the DoD warned people about the negative consequences climate change would have on its operations and to global security. In 2018, the DoD followed up with a report about which climate-related risks affect the agency. Hundreds of military sites reported effects from drought, flooding, extreme temperatures, and wildfire.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 50

9/28/18 8:40 AM

ACCOUNTABILITY Because of the global commitment to the Paris climate agreement, nations are working to mitigate climate change. The partners in the Paris Agreement agreed to tackle climate change in different ways. Each nation made its own commitment. Because the agreement includes guidelines for reporting and review, participating nations will have to show proof of achieving their goals. Supporters of the agreement believe that following through on commitments is a win for the world and each participant in the agreement. Fulfilling commitments helps the participating nation’s people by creating a cleaner,

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

healthier environment. People can also benefit by the green jobs that become available. The nonprofit organization National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) works to make sure people have clean air, good water, and healthy, safe environments. In 2017, the NRDC published an article noting why US participation in the agreement is important. Regarding accountability, the NRDC said, “We can’t ensure progress is being made towards commitments of major countries

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 51

9/28/18 8:40 AM

In 2010, Senator John Kerry spoke at an NRDC event about clean energy.

if the U.S. is sitting on the sidelines and not showing

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

leadership.”6

JOBS AND BUSINESSES The worldwide support to combat climate change has helped the clean energy industry. Environmental Entrepreneurs, a group that supports policies that are beneficial to both the environment and the economy, published a report in 2016 about clean energy jobs in the United States. More than 2.5 million Americans work in clean energy. Most of them, nearly 1.9 million, work in the area of energy efficiency.7 This includes creating

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 52

9/28/18 8:40 AM

appliances that use less energy and installing lights that use less energy. Almost 414,000 Americans work in renewable energy. Most of these workers, about 300,000, are in the solar energy sector. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of jobs in solar energy increased by 115,000. That rate of increase was 12 times greater than that of the rest of the US economy during the same span of time. And 220,000 new jobs in solar energy were expected in the coming years.8 The area of wind energy is also expected to grow. This is the second-largest sector

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

of clean energy in the United States, with more than 77,000 workers. Another area of clean energy growth is advanced vehicles. They rely on an energy source other than gasoline, such as electricity. Almost 170,000 US jobs are in this industry.9

AUTOMAKERS AND CLEAN ENERGY In the United States, automakers are part of the push for clean energy. One of the major proponents is Tesla, which produces electric cars. In 2014 and 2015, the automaker added thousands of jobs in California and Nevada. The employees produced cars and batteries. The company has grown dramatically because of high customer interest in cars that do not burn gasoline. Other car companies, including Chevrolet and Nissan, are also increasing production of electric and hybrid cars.

The United States can continue to benefit from

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 53

9/28/18 8:40 AM

support for clean energy. The

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

BREAKTHROUGH ENERGY COALITION Many non-nation entities have promised to fight climate change. They include cities, states, and organizations. One organization is the Breakthrough Energy Coalition. Its members include financial institutions, global corporations, and private investors. Members have considerable amounts of money. The group is dedicated to developing new technology that will change people’s everyday lives to stop climate change. US members include General Electric, Microsoft, and the University of California. Individual members include Jeff Bezos, the founder and head of Amazon, and Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. These business and technology leaders, as well as others in the coalition, have pledged billions of dollars toward researching and developing new clean energy technology.

International Energy Agency estimates a massive global economy in this sector. In the next 25 years, the international market for clean energy could total trillions of dollars. The growth in that market means opportunities for the United States, such as exporting electric cars.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP For decades, the United States has been a superpower, a global leader on the world stage. However, since Trump became

president in January 2017, the United States has withdrawn from the world stage. This change is in line with Trump’s idea of “America first.”10 When Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the climate treaty in June 2017,

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 54

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Rex Tillerson was serving as US secretary of state. The person in this important and high-level role advises the president on foreign affairs. The secretary of state is also a diplomat

“THIS STEP DOES NOT MAKE AMERICA FIRST. IT MAKES AMERICA LAST.” 12 —JOHN KERRY, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE, SPEAKING ABOUT HOW THE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PARIS AGREEMENT DOESN’T ALIGN WITH TRUMP’S GOAL TO PUT AMERICAN NEEDS BEFORE THOSE OF OTHER NATIONS

and spends considerable time traveling to other countries and meeting with foreign leaders. Tillerson advised the president against withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. He said that doing so would hurt relationships between the United States and its allies.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

R. Nicholas Burns expressed concern about the effect of withdrawal on international relations. He served as an ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the early 2000s. NATO is a political and military alliance of dozens of nations that encourages democracy and peace. Burns said, “We are looking at a real weakening of the leadership and credibility of the United States in the world.”11 But Trump is not alone in keeping the United States out of global climate efforts. Years earlier, President

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 55

9/28/18 8:40 AM

George W. Bush did not sign the

“IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE US ADMINISTRATION SAYS THEY’RE PULLING OUT OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT, BUT YOU CAN’T STOP PROGRESS.” 14 —CATHERINE MCKENNA, CANADA’S MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT

Kyoto Protocol. The secretary of state under Bush, Colin Powell, later revealed that Bush’s refusal to join the Kyoto Protocol negatively affected US diplomacy.

Some people believe Trump’s actions will have an even greater effect than Bush’s refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Steve Herz, an international policy adviser for the environmental organization Sierra Club, said, “By abandoning the global effort to contain the climate crisis,

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the Trump administration is severely undermining its ability to achieve any of its other diplomatic priorities.”13 In other words, Trump’s decision has made government heads and representatives doubt the United States as a world leader and as a partner. Some may even question whether the United States can be trusted. Rather than turn to the United States for partnership and support as has been the norm for many decades, allies may turn to other countries, such as China.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 56

9/28/18 8:40 AM

MOST AMERICANS WANT PARTICIPATION Another factor to consider regarding participation in the Paris climate agreement is what Americans think. Different organizations have polled voters on the topic. The numbers show that most Americans want the United States to be part of the treaty. In May 2017, Yale University reported that the majority of respondents in every state supported US participation in the Paris Agreement. Of political party members surveyed, 86 percent of Democrats, 61 percent of Independents, and 51 percent of Republicans thought the United States should be part of the agreement.15 But

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

just as there are those who believe in participating, some people agree with Trump and think that not participating is a good idea. People protested Trump’s decision outside of the White House on June 1, 2017.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 57

9/28/18 8:40 AM

CHAPTER FIVE

REASONS TO

Withdraw

T

rump was very clear about his reason for withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement. Withdrawal was not about the

climate. It was about business. He said on June 1, 2017, that the agreement was a bad deal for the country:

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering an agreement that disadvantages the U.S. leaving American workers, who I love, and tax payers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs and lower wages and vastly diminished economic reduction.1

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AGREE Some members of Congress supported the president and repeated his message. Kentucky senator and US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell was quick to Trump campaigned on the promise to improve the li ves of middle-class Americans.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 58

9/28/18 8:40 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 59

9/28/18 8:41 AM

respond to Trump’s withdrawal

“THE PRESIDENT’S NO. 1 PRIORITY IS TO GET THE BEST DEAL FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT HE IS COMMITTED TO GETTING THE BEST DEAL FOR AMERICA, AMERICA’S WORKERS, AMERICA’S MANUFACTURERS.” 3 —SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN WHEN TRUMP ANNOUNCED WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PARIS AGREEMENT

announcement. McConnell said, “I applaud President Trump and his administration for dealing yet another significant blow to the Obama administration’s assault on domestic energy production and jobs.”2 Wisconsin representative and Speaker of the House Paul

Ryan also expressed support for the president. Ryan said the Paris Agreement was a bad deal because participating

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in it would have made energy costs increase.

FIVE REASONS Nonpoliticians also agreed with Trump’s decision. The organization Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) noted five reasons to not take part in the Paris climate agreement. First, it says the agreement would be costly to taxpayers. Obama promised billions of dollars from the United States to support efforts to fight climate change. Second, Americans and US businesses would have to pay higher

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 60

9/28/18 8:41 AM

energy costs. Climate rules put in place under Obama would cause taxes to increase for businesses. And consumers would have to pay more for electricity. The electric bill for a family of four could increase as much as 20 percent.4 Third, it says the United States would end up at a disadvantage competitively. It notes that is because

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the country would lose an estimated 6.5 million jobs by 2040. In addition, the US

BUSINESS CAP AND TRADE One method for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases benefits the environment and has cost savings. It is called cap and trade. The “cap” is the limit put on greenhouse gases. When a company emits more greenhouse gases than the cap, it pays a fine. The “trade” is a marketplace for selling and buying cap amounts, also called emissions trading and allowance trading. The benefits of a cap-and-trade program are that overall emissions drop and some companies make money. A program in California has led to a consistent decrease in carbon dioxide in the last decade. From 2013 to 2015 alone, a cap-and-trade program led to a 4 percent decrease. In the European Union, capped emissions dropped by 15 percent between 2005 and 2015. 6

economy would lose more than $2.5 trillion.5 However, the organization did not provide specifics about those losses. Other nations, such as China, India, and Russia, which are participating in the agreement, have less strict emissions goals, which ATR says will put those countries at an advantage over the United States. Fourth, it says the benefits of the agreement will

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 61

9/28/18 8:41 AM

be minimal. Taking part is not worth the time, money, and effort it would require. Fifth, the agreement is a treaty. According to the US Constitution, Obama should have brought the agreement to the US Senate for a vote.

ADDITIONAL REASONS Nicolas Loris and Katie Tubb, writers at the news website Daily Signal, provided their own list of reasons for why getting out of the Paris Agreement is a good move for the United States. They note that Trump’s move is a show of leadership. Not going along with the agreement shows how Trump can resist pressure from other countries.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

In addition, Loris and Tubb noted that US departure from the treaty does not mean the United States will not help other countries. The duo also explained that withdrawing may actually be helpful diplomatically: “It could very well help future negotiations if other governments know that the U.S. is willing and able to resist diplomatic pressure in order to protect American interests.”7 Loris and Tubb also say that withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is good for the United States. They say that

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 62

9/28/18 8:41 AM

doing so will help the country be competitive regarding energy. Getting out of the agreement does not mean the United States cannot pursue clean energy. It means the opposite. Companies—whether their operations are related to fossil fuels or renewable fuels—can pursue whatever ideas they want without any of the rules created as a result of the Paris climate agreement. And a large portion of the world’s population is behind when it comes to energy. The authors explained, “The market for energy is $6 trillion and projected to grow by a third by 2040. Roughly 1.3 billion people do not yet have access to electricity, let alone reliable, affordable energy. That’s a big

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

market incentive for the private sector to pursue the next energy technology without the aid of taxpayer money.”8 In other words, clean energy technology can advance without money from the US government. Solar power is one form of clean energy.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 63

9/28/18 8:41 AM

“THE CONCEPT OF GLOBAL WARMING WAS CREATED BY AND FOR THE CHINESE IN ORDER TO MAKE U.S. MANUFACTURING NON-COMPETITIVE.” 10 —DONALD TRUMP IN A TWEET, NOVEMBER 6, 2012

CLIMATE CHANGE A HOAX? While Trump may believe in getting the United States an agreement he deems as fair, he has expressed that he does not believe in climate

change. Trump tweeted repeatedly on the subject even before becoming president. In 2012, Trump wrote that the Chinese created climate change as a trick to make the United States uncompetitive. In 2014, he incorrectly wrote, “POLAR ICE CAPS are at an all time high, the POLAR

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

BEAR population has never been stronger. Where . . . is global warming.”9 In 2017, at the One Planet Summit, world leaders worked together to tackle climate change without the United States’ par ticipation. One leader in at tendance was British prime minister Theresa May.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 64

9/28/18 8:41 AM

In January 2018, as president of the United States, Trump discussed the Paris Agreement in a television interview. He said it was a bad deal for the United States. He also shared his disbelief in climate change: “There is a cooling, and there’s a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place.”11 Trump’s statement fits with a common misperception. A particularly cold winter or even a colder-than-average year is not a good indicator of the climate. It is important to look at

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

climate in the long term.

REPUBLICAN VIEWPOINT Trump’s decision to pull the United States from the Paris climate agreement fits with what has become the Republican stance on climate change. Generally speaking, climate change is a partisan

CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AND “FALSE HOPE” Although many environmentalists are thrilled by the Paris climate agreement, not all are. Some of them think the treaty is simply an exercise in good will. One group of climate scientists says the accord gives only “false hope” and has many “deadly flaws.” 12 A major concern is the timing. The commitments to cutting carbon dioxide do not begin until 2020. These scientists say there will be so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by then that the world may not be able to meet the temperature reduction goal.

topic. Recent history has shown

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 65

9/28/18 8:41 AM

that most Democrats usually declare it is happening, and most Republicans usually do not. That now-standard Republican viewpoint is

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

SOME REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK In July 2017, some Republicans began separating themselves from their party’s stance on climate change. Forty-six Republicans joined Democrats in stopping an amendment from becoming law that would end a requirement that the Department of Defense (DoD) prepare for the effects of climate change. 13 A year later, in July 2018, a bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote to Jim Mattis, the US secretary of defense, about using the term climate change. The group was responding to a DoD report about the effects of climate change on military sites. The report used “climate change” once, opting instead for “extreme weather” and simply “climate.” 14 The wording had been changed since a previous report that had been issued while Obama was president. The bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote, “We write to you to reinforce congressional intent when it comes to implementation of reports covering climate change.” The letter also said, “The facts are clear: climate change poses a threat to the Department and the nation.” 15

relatively new. In 2008, Arizona senator John McCain, a Republican, ran for president of the United States. During his campaign, he spoke about global warming, warning of its dangers. He spoke about it more than his opponent, Obama. Nine years later, Republican Trump represents the opposite approach. In addition to pulling the nation out of the Paris Agreement, Trump has questioned if climate change is real and has undone laws designed to protect the environment. Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist, explained

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 66

9/28/18 8:41 AM

the change: “Most Republicans still do not regard climate change as a hoax. But the entire climate change debate has now been caught up in the broader polarization of American politics.” He also said it has become a test to show “whether or not you’re a good Republican.”16 The shift in the Republican viewpoint is largely because of oil companies. Specifically, brothers Charles D. and David H. Koch, billionaires in the oil and chemicals industry, have

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

greatly affected Republican attitudes when it came to climate change. They influenced

CARBON MONITORING SYSTEM NASA tracks levels of carbon dioxide and methane. NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) gets readings from satellites and aircraft. NASA’s yearly CMS budget is $10 million. In May 2018, Trump canceled funding for the program. Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of Tufts University’s Center for International Environment and Resource Policy, responded in terms of the Paris Agreement: “If you cannot measure emissions reductions, you cannot be confident that countries are adhering to the agreement.” 17

laws regarding climate change by funding the opposite view. They did this by donating money to politicians who supported the idea that climate change does not exist. In addition, the Koch brothers and the political advocacy organization Americans for Prosperity started backing politicians who would not support new pollution

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 67

9/28/18 8:41 AM

“WE HAVE ENDED THE WAR ON AMERICAN ENERGY, AND WE HAVE ENDED THE WAR ON BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL.” 18 —DONALD TRUMP, 2018 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

laws. The effect on Republicans was swift. According to Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, Republican candidates stopped mentioning

climate change in their campaign ads. Starting in 2010, Republicans who believed in green energy stopped saying they did. Richard G. Lugar was a Republican senator from Indiana. He served six terms. He discussed his worries about the climate. He also drove a Prius, a car that can run on electricity and gas. He lost his primary election in May

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

2012 to a more conservative candidate, Richard Mourdock. Mourdock was once an executive at a coal company and had once issued a statement noting that he didn’t believe the science that supported climate change. Lugar and his opponents have said his beliefs about climate change were a big factor in his loss. Obama was another factor in the Republican shift toward climate change. During his second term as president, Obama decided to focus on climate change. He created the Clean Power Plan, which would cut

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 68

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Richard Mourdock, right, lost the 2012 election to Democrat Joe Donnelly, left.

greenhouse gas emissions. To create it, he used a rule that allowed him to skip getting approval from Congress.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

For critics, the move validated their idea that Obama was arrogant and wanted to please elite Americans on the coasts, suggesting that he was inconsiderate of hardworking fossil fuel workers.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 69

9/28/18 8:41 AM

FROM THE

HEADLINES Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

REMOVING CLIMATE CHANGE ONLINE

The US government has a variety of websites. The White House has a site and so do federal departments and agencies, such as the Department of Education and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The content on these websites can change to reflect the ideas and policies of the president in office. That was the case after Trump took office. Trump’s disbelief in climate change resulted in the removal of an entire section about climate change from the White House website on January 20, 2017—the day he became president. Trump heavily promotes coal. Government sites changed to reflect that. Perhaps the greatest change occurred on the EPA’s site. Like the White House website, the entire section about climate change disappeared. In addition, the Department of Energy’s site moved away from promoting renewable energy to advocating for the use of coal and other fossil fuels. Materials designed to educate children now focus on coal, and the content does not address negative results of using the fossil fuel, such as harmful health consequences.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 70

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Tr ump pr omised t o br ing back coal jobs as pr esident .

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 71

9/28/18 8:41 AM

CHAPTER SIX

LEAVING THE

Agreement

O

n November 7, 2017, the United States became the only nation not taking part in the Paris climate agreement. When Trump announced US

withdrawal from the agreement in June 2017, Nicaragua and Syria were not partners in the treaty. Nicaragua

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

joined the agreement in October 2017. The next month, Syria joined as well. Not taking part in the agreement means two things for certain. First, the United States has to formally withdraw from the agreement. Second, other nations will proceed with achieving the goals of the treaty.

People in Germany protested Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 72

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 73

9/28/18 8:41 AM

THE WITHDRAWAL PROCESS Simply announcing the United States would not remain part of the Paris climate agreement did not end the country’s participation in the global initiative. Removal from the agreement takes four years. The length of time is the same for any nation that wants to withdraw. However, the United States could shorten the time to one year if it also withdraws from the UNFCCC. Assuming the United States does not withdraw from

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the UNFCCC, the earliest the nation can withdraw from

“IT IS SHAMEFUL THAT THE U.S. IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD THAT IS NOT IN THE PARIS AGREEMENT.” 1 —HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE AND 2016 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, MARCH 2017

the Paris climate agreement is November 4, 2020. According to the agreement, a nation that wants to withdraw must submit a document stating so. But that cannot happen until November 4, 2019. That

is because the agreement also states that the agreement must be active for three years before any participant can withdraw. The Paris climate agreement went into effect November 4, 2016. According to its rules, official

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 74

9/28/18 8:41 AM

withdrawal will occur one year after November 4, 2019, or possibly later if the nation chooses. During the year after submitting a letter of intent to withdraw, a nation can choose not to withdraw. The UNFCCC has made it clear that rejoining will not be an issue. After Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

agreement, the UNFCCC posted an article on its website about the withdrawal process. After providing a brief explanation,

THIRTY DAYS TO REJOIN Formally withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement does not end the United States’ opportunity to take part in the treaty. A future US president could rejoin, and the process could be as quick as 30 days. Terms of the agreement give participants the power to leave after 2020, and nations that leave may rejoin when they want. The treaty does not set a time frame for how long a country must wait to rejoin. According to Michael Berger, who heads Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, “A subsequent president would thus be able to submit a document stating the United States’ intention to become party to the Agreement as soon as she or he wanted to.” Doing so would be out of the ordinary, as Berger explained: “Countries don’t typically withdraw from complex international agreements that they led the way in negotiating.” 3

the organization noted, “A withdrawal may also be revoked before it becomes effective. And, of course, if a Party withdraws they are welcome to re-join: the door is always open.”2

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 75

9/28/18 8:41 AM

MOVING FORWARD Trump’s withdrawal announcement elicited negative responses from the leaders of other nations. Leaders also showed their continued commitment to the agreement and the planet. India said it will stop sales of cars that use

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

THE EFFECT ON CHINA Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement could help China politically. As Trump continues to withdraw the United States from the world stage, other world leaders can step up. China has the world’s second-largest economy. It has financial power to fill in where the United States will not. And with the common effort of fighting climate change, China can bond with other powers and forge new alliances. China has done this with the European Union. A challenge for China may be that US withdrawal could cause other nations to pressure China to do more, especially in terms of climate change.

fossil fuels by 2030. Instead, it will push for electric cars. And China, the United States’ biggest economic competitor, promised to spend billions of dollars on green energy through 2020. In December 2017, more than 50 world leaders and other environment supporters met at a climate summit in Paris. They were moving forward with the

Paris climate agreement without the United States. Trump did not attend, but he was there in a way. As Thomas Adamson and Philippe Sotto reported for US News and

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 76

9/28/18 8:41 AM

MORE TO THE

STORY

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

OTHER NATIONS MAY SPEND LESS A key feature of the Paris Agreement is climate finance. Money from wealthier nations will help poorer nations with their efforts at mitigating and adapting to climate change. Wealthier nations, including the United States, have pledged billions of dollars every year beginning in 2020. Participants met in November 2017 to discuss the agreement. It was the first Paris climate agreement meeting since Trump announced he was withdrawing the United States. The meeting was intended to focus on the final details of the agreement and how it would work. Money quickly became a hot topic. Developing nations have agreed to some challenging goals in part because these treaty participants are expecting financial help. Without US participation, the help may not happen if other developed countries cannot or will not help. The result will be promises not kept and climate change goals not met.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 77

9/28/18 8:41 AM

World Report, “Trump became the unwitting villain as world leaders, investors and other Americans assailed him Tuesday for rejecting the Paris climate accord.”4 Macron took advantage of Trump’s absence. With the United States backing out of the global program and stepping off the world stage in general, Macron took a leadership role. Support for the agreement came in the form of money. Backers of the agreement promised funds to help countries and businesses switch to clean energy. They wanted to discourage other countries from leaving the agreement. During the summit, business leaders and investors

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

such as Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Records and dozens of other companies, made important declarations. They and other donors were planning to provide financial support to various global projects that came out of talks at the summit. The projects will help mitigate climate change. Trump was not invited to the December 2017 event, but other Americans attended. In addition to Gates, Americans at the summit included billionaire and former mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg and former US

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 78

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Bill Gates, right, met with Macron during the summit.

secretary of state John Kerry. They and others were clear

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in their opinion that the world will move from fossil fuels to clean energy and emissions will drop. The shift would happen with or without the support of the White House. California governor Jerry Brown also attended the Paris meeting. He spoke out against Trump’s push for coal mining. Regarding climate change, Brown said, “It’s time for President Trump to join the rest of the world, not oppose it.”5 A key point of the December 2017 meeting was a discussion of Trump’s statement that the Paris Agreement

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 79

9/28/18 8:41 AM

would harm US business. Macron thinks major companies

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

POWERING PAST COAL ALLIANCE During a Paris Agreement summit in Bonn, Germany, in November 2017, several countries joined forces to eliminate coal use. Canada and the United Kingdom led the charge, which resulted in the Powering Past Coal Alliance. More than a dozen countries joined, including Fiji, Finland, France, and Mexico. The alliance plans to increase membership and will partner with companies and governments to meet its goals. During the summit, the newly formed alliance pressed Germany and the United States to give up coal. Germany, which hosted the meeting, gets 40 percent of its power from coal. 6 Trump sent a team of representatives to the event to speak to his agenda. The team had the opposite viewpoint of the new alliance. George David Banks, who is Trump’s special adviser on energy and the environment, and four energy executives held a panel discussion. The team advocated for fossil fuels, saying they were important to saving US jobs and decreasing poverty worldwide. These viewpoints did not go over well. Protesters interrupted the representatives during their talk, and other summit attendees criticized Trump’s effort to promote coal.

and thriving economies will rely on clean energy instead of oil. More specific to the United States, projects announced at the conference included one in which eight states will create electric vehicles. Since the meeting, nine US states have formally agreed to advocate using electric vehicles. In June 2018, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont announced their plan. Together, these states account for a significant portion of the US vehicle market. The plan includes steps that automakers, car dealers, and other groups

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 80

9/28/18 8:41 AM

should take between 2018 and 2021 to encourage consumers to buy and use vehicles that have zero emissions. The focus is primarily on electric vehicles and includes other alternative

“AMERICA WILL REMAIN A LEADER IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. BUT WE WILL NOT JEOPARDIZE OUR ECONOMY IN ORDER TO PLEASE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT DON’T COME ANYWHERE NEAR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.” 8 —NIKKI HALEY, US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN

energy vehicles as well. New York governor Andrew Cuomo spoke about his state’s plans regarding climate change: With every action by the Trump administration to roll back proven emission standards, New York will continue to combat the damaging effects of climate change by aggressively pushing

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

forward our nation leading energy and climate goals.7

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 81

9/28/18 8:41 AM

CHAPTER SEVEN

AMERICANS

Respond

W

hen Trump made his announcement to leave the Paris Agreement, world leaders were quick to share their disagreement with his decision.

The American response varied. The president had

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

supporters and opponents.

SUPPORT FOR TRUMP’S DECISION Trump received backing from members of the federal government, including Pruitt. According to Pruitt, withdrawing from the Paris Agreement will be good for the United States. He echoed Trump’s idea that the agreement was simply bad business: “When we joined Paris, the rest of the world applauded . . . because it put this country at [a] disadvantage. It’s a bad deal for this

Scot t Pruit t was the EPA administrator from 2017 to 2018. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 82

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 83

9/28/18 8:41 AM

country. We’re going to make sure as we make deals we’re going to put the interests of America first.”1 Pruitt claimed the move will create jobs for Americans. He spoke about the agreement in a television interview on June 4, 2017: “We’ve had over 50,000 . . . coal jobs, mining jobs created in this country. This president’s deregulation agenda, particularly in the energy space, is making a substantial impact around the country.”2 It is important to note that data have shown Pruitt’s claims were not entirely true. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the estimated number of added jobs was 46,700, and they were added between October 2016 and May 2017.3 This

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Ted Cruz, right, said the Paris Agreement would hur t the US economy.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 84

9/28/18 8:41 AM

period of time includes months before Trump took office as president, so the job growth had other contributing factors besides Trump’s actions. Some members of Congress also responded favorably. They, too, echoed Trump’s focus on the business aspects of the Paris Agreement. Texas senator Ted Cruz expressed support. He issued a statement after Trump’s announcement, saying, “I commend President Trump for putting American jobs first. This is great news for the Texas economy and for hardworking Americans all across the country.”4

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

OPPOSITION TO TRUMP’S DECISION Several Democrats in Congress responded to the president’s announcement with disapproval. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York called out the move as “a devastating failure of historic proportions.”5 Unlike some Republicans who responded, Schumer’s reasons were about more than money and business: Future generations will look back on President Trump’s decision as one of the worst policy moves made in the 21st century because of the huge damage to our economy, our environment

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 85

9/28/18 8:41 AM

and our geopolitical standing. Pulling out of the Paris agreement doesn’t put America first, it puts America last in recognizing science, in being a world leader and protecting our own shore line, our economy and our planet. It’s now crystal clear President Trump is comfortable both ceding the moral high ground and the economic upper hand to countries like China, and endangering the future of our planet.6

High-level business leaders also expressed criticism of Trump’s decision. Some shared their views via Twitter. Jeff Immelt, the head of General Electric, wrote that he was disappointed with the decision to leave the Paris climate agreement. Former vice president Al Gore responded as well. He

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

has been an environmental activist for decades. Gore described Trump’s decision as “a reckless and indefensible

“CLEARLY THE US LEAVING THE PARIS AGREEMENT WOULD MAKE THE 2 C OR 1.5 C TARGETS EVEN HARDER TO ACHIEVE THAN THEY CURRENTLY ARE.”8 —ADRIAN RAFTERY, PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS AND SOCIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, AND AUTHOR OF THE STUDY “LESS THAN 2ºC WARMING BY 2100 UNLIKELY”

action.” Gore said, “It undermines America’s standing in the world and threatens to damage humanity’s ability to solve the climate crisis in time. But make no mistake: if President Trump won’t lead, the American people will.”7

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 86

9/28/18 8:41 AM

WE ARE STILL IN Some Americans did more than share their opinions. They took action. The Trump administration’s lack of support for the Paris Agreement and its support of fossil fuels does not mean governments in the United States are not fighting climate change. Immediately after Trump announced US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, dozens of lower-level government leaders joined forces with leaders in business and education to create the We Are Still In declaration. On June 5, 2017, the group’s members included nine states, 125 cities, 183 colleges and universities, and 902 businesses

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

and investors. The nine states were California, Connecticut,

CLIMATE MAYORS

Hawaii, New York, North

Long before Trump made his announcement about leaving the Paris Agreement, a group of lower-level leaders joined forces to fight climate change. In 2014, a group of US mayors established Climate Mayors. As of mid-2018, hundreds of members of the organization have agreed to support the Paris climate agreement and work toward its goal of limiting global warming.

Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington. Businesses included some of the biggest names in the world, such as Apple, Google, and Facebook. Adidas and Nike also

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 87

9/28/18 8:41 AM

joined the coalition. The group’s members represented 120 million Americans and more than $6 trillion of the US economy.9 Terry McAuliffe, governor of Virginia, released a statement about his state taking part in We Are Still In: President Trump’s announcement to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement does not speak for the states and cities that are committed to fighting climate change and paving the way for a new energy economy. If the federal government insists on abdicating leadership on this issue, it will be up to the American people to step forward—and in Virginia we are doing just that.10

In addition to this declaration, many Americans’

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

responses were overwhelmingly in support of the environment and the Paris Agreement. Polls have also revealed Americans’ support for fighting climate change. In August 2017, the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research asked respondents about Trump’s policy on energy. The majority of those polled thought climate change was a problem the government should focus on. The poll also found that most of the respondents were against repealing the Clean Power

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 88

10/17/18 7:25 AM

In 2017, Terry McAulif fe went to Germany for a climate conference to discuss lowering carbon emissions.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Plan and withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement. But the disapproval from both world leaders and some of the people Trump represented as president did not dissuade Trump. In mid-2018, what lay ahead regarding the treaty was unclear, at least in terms of the United States.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 89

9/28/18 8:41 AM

FROM THE

HEADLINES Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE IN COURT

In September 2017, Oakland and San Francisco, California, decided to fight climate change in court. The two cities sued the top five fossil fuel producers in the world. The lawsuits were against BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and Royal Dutch Shell. The two cities wanted the courts to make the companies accountable for the costs of climate change, which include the money for sea walls needed to protect coastal cities from rising sea levels. In San Francisco, the rise in sea level at the bay as a result of global warming is risking billions of dollars in public and private property. In Oakland, people are concerned about rising sea levels affecting the city’s airport. The city’s sewer system is also at risk and could back up and flood some areas of Oakland. The lawsuits claim that these big energy companies knew of the dangers of fossil fuels. Oakland City Attorney Barbara J. Parker explained the reasoning behind the lawsuit. She said:

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 90

10/17/18 7:26 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Coastal ci t ies ar ound t he w or ld ar e at r isk o f f looding because o f r ising sea le v els.

These companies knew fossil fuel-driven climate change was real, they knew it was caused by their products and they lied to cover up that knowledge to protect their astronomical profits. The harm to our cities has commenced and will only get worse. The law is clear that the defendants are responsible for the consequences of their reckless and disastrous actions.11

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 91

9/28/18 8:41 AM

CHAPTER EIGHT

WHAT LIES

Ahead

F

rom Trump’s viewpoint, withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement is a big accomplishment. In February 2018, he continued

to call taking part in the treaty negative for the United States. But Trump says he is not opposed to US

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

participation, at least not under different terms.

REJOINING According to George David Banks, a former White House adviser on energy and the environment, the president has discussed the possibility with foreign leaders: “He’s interested because he likes the idea of working out a better deal.”1 Banks thinks the president could use rejoining to boost himself in the eyes of some

People around the globe want to protect Ear th from climate change. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 92

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 93

9/28/18 8:41 AM

world leaders and some voters

THE 2020 CAMPAIGN The earliest date the United States can be withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement is November 4, 2020. That will be the day after the election for US president. Given the support of the Paris climate agreement at home and abroad and the growing importance of climate change and alternative fuels, rejoining the treaty may be an important promise for some presidential candidates. The winner of that election will take office on January 20, 2021, and could immediately start the process to rejoin.

if he runs for reelection in 2020. However, the president would not actually be renegotiating the treaty. Instead, he would take advantage of the option to lower the nation’s commitments to it. Obama committed to a reduction of greenhouse gas output in the United States of up to 28 percent by 2025.2

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Trump could choose a lower number and rejoin without actually renegotiating the agreement. But he could then claim he established new terms for the deal. While proceeding in this way might win over some people, lowering the United States’ goal for cutting emissions does not fit well with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

POSSIBLE OTHER EFFECTS As Trump continues to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement, other nations have the opportunity

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 94

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Emmanuel Macron, Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama, German chancellor Angela Merkel, and UN secretary general António Guterres at tended the 2017 climate talks in Germany.

to step in. Under Obama, the United States was a leader in the fight against global warming and climate change. Without funding from the US government, other nations

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

may have to take up the financial slack so developing nations can meet their goals. This may result in new partnerships and a strengthening in some world ties—all without the United States. Other nations may stand to benefit while the United States sits on the sidelines. Macron can move France into the role of an environmental leader. And Xi

“TO EVERYONE FOR WHOM THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET IS IMPORTANT, I SAY LET’S CONTINUE GOING DOWN THIS PATH SO WE’RE SUCCESSFUL FOR OUR MOTHER EARTH.” 3 —ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY, JUNE 2, 2017

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 95

9/28/18 8:41 AM

“IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THE UNITED STATES REMAINS A LEADER ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.”5 —STÉPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESMAN FOR THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL, JUNE 1, 2017

Jinping can use the opportunity to make China a leader in the fight against climate change and increase China’s central role on the world stage.

Closer to home, US companies may suffer from Trump’s decision. Some companies that sell goods to other countries fear that those countries may punish them with increasing taxes. Or consumers in other countries may simply choose not to buy American goods as a way to boycott Trump’s decision. Christopher Flavelle, a reporter for Bloomberg News, explained:

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

That’s the backlash fear. There’s a concern that you hear that by pulling out, the U.S. will expose its companies to some pretty harsh pushback. As people elsewhere say, why aren’t you pulling your fair share? That could take the place of consumers in other countries trying to boycott U.S. products. It could take the place of tariffs or other trade barriers as other countries say, we’re trying to do something, and if you are not, we’ve got to impose some sort of equivalent cost so there’s a level playing field.4

This concern includes clean energy companies. Specifically, some environmentalists are worried that lack of US participation in the Paris Agreement might prompt

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 96

9/28/18 8:41 AM

some investors in other countries to finance green energy in places other than the United States.

CONTINUING TO TAKE PART With November 4, 2020, being the earliest possible withdrawal date from the Paris climate agreement, the United States had considerable time to change direction and not withdraw after Trump’s announcement. However, Trump was clear that he believed the agreement was not in the best interest of the United States. And although he did mention being open to renegotiating, by mid-2018, that prospect seemed unlikely. However, the United States

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

could still contribute to global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Negotiations by participants of the Paris Agreement were planned for the next few years regarding the specifics of the agreement. Participants needed to figure out a process for sharing their progress—or lack of progress—with each other. And because countries would hold each other accountable for meeting their goals, communications would include a review process that also needed to be worked out. In June 2017, UN

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 97

9/28/18 8:41 AM

climate expert Maria Manguiat said this “rule book” about communications was supposed to be finished in 2018.6 Because the United States would still be part of the Paris Agreement until 2020, the nation could influence these guidelines. Trump would decide how the United States proceeded in the negotiations. As Manguiat explained, “Whether that means that the U.S. would still insist on certain

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

US ENERGY JOBS The world’s attention to climate change has led to the pursuit of energy alternatives. Use of renewable energies such as solar and wind is growing. As a result, the number of jobs in these industries is increasing. In its 2018 annual report on renewable energy jobs, the International Renewable Energy Agency said more than 10 million people worked in renewable energy worldwide in 2017. This was an increase of more than 5 percent compared to 2016. More than three million of these workers were in photovoltaic (PV) solar energy, which uses special panels that capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity. In the United States, approximately 812,000 people worked in renewable energy. 8 The United States’ top three renewable energy sectors based on employment are liquid biofuels, PV solar, and wind power.

positions or whether it will take a backseat knowing that it won’t be in the agreement in a few years, no one can tell.”7 Trump’s decision to pull the United States from the Paris climate agreement was met with both positive and negative reactions. Supporters of Trump’s decision said getting out of the agreement was a win for US workers and taxpayers. They also said that Trump’s stance could give the United States

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 98

9/28/18 8:41 AM

better negotiating power and will help the energy market work without restrictions. Time will tell whether those hoped for benefits of withdrawing will come to pass. Although the future is unknown, some things seem clear regarding the Paris climate agreement and climate change. First, regardless of formal participation by the US government, the treaty will continue. Next, the efforts to fight global warming and climate change include US leaders at the city and state levels, as well as US investors and businesses. And cooperation between Americans and people from other nations has already begun. Finally, until efforts to mitigate climate change show success, the

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

problem of climate change will continue. At a 2017 climate conference, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg promised that some US cities would continue to meet carbon emission targets set by the Paris Agreement.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 99

9/28/18 8:41 AM

ESSENTIAL

FACTS MAJOR EVENTS

• The 2015 Paris summit resulted in the Paris climate agreement. The United States, under Barack Obama’s leadership, joined the Paris climate agreement.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• In 2017, President Donald Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. He believed the agreement was a bad deal for the American people. • At the 2017 Paris summit, world leaders and various environmental advocates, including American investors and business leaders, met. They continued to work toward the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

KEY PLAYERS • Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. • The United Nations is an international organization that oversees the Paris climate agreement.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 100

9/28/18 8:41 AM

• During his presidency, Barack Obama worked to combat climate change. • Emmanuel Macron, president of France, disagreed with Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. Macron has stepped forward as a leader in the fight against climate change.

IMPACT ON SOCIETY The goal of the Paris climate agreement is to mitigate and adapt to climate change. If the world does not combat climate change, scientists predict it will be at great risk for increasing environment-related issues including drought and famine. As of mid-2018, the political effects of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement continued to unfold.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

QUOTES “The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack.” —President Barack Obama, 2017 “This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States.” —President Donald Trump, 2017

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 101

9/28/18 8:41 AM

GLOSSARY AEROSOL A substance in a spray can that’s released by pushing a button.

BIPARTISAN Involving cooperation between the two major political parties.

CEDE Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

To give up.

DEVELOPED COUNTRY A nation that has a lot of industrial activity and whose people have relatively high earnings.

DEVELOPING COUNTRY A nation that has little industrial and economic activity and whose people earn little money.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 102

9/28/18 8:41 AM

GREENHOUSE GAS A gas that absorbs infrared radiation and traps heat in the atmosphere.

HALON A substance once used to fight fires; damages the ozone layer.

INSURANCE Coverage people pay for in case they experience a loss, such as that from fire or flooding. The coverage gives people money to help replace what was damaged or destroyed.

MITIGATE To make something less intense.

RATIFY Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

To formally approve or make official by signing or by vote.

TARIFF A set of prices, fees, duties, or taxes on imported or exported goods.

TREATY An agreement between two or more countries or leaders.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 103

9/28/18 8:41 AM

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Gray, Alex. “Five Charts that Explain the Paris Climate Agreement.” World Economic Forum, 4 Nov. 2016, weforum.org. Accessed 9 July 2018.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Harvey, Fiona. “Paris Climate Change Agreement: The World’s Greatest Diplomatic Success.” Guardian, 14 Dec. 2015, theguardian.com. Accessed 9 July 2018. “Trump Supporters, Opponents React to Paris Climate Agreement Pullout.” CBS News, 1 June 2017, cbsnews.com. Accessed 9 July 2018.

FURTHER READINGS Hand, Carol. Climate Change: Our Warming Earth. Abdo, 2015. Lanser, Amanda. Adapting to Climate Change. Abdo, 2015.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 104

9/28/18 8:41 AM

ONLINE RESOURCES

To learn more about the Paris climate agreement, visit abdobooklinks.com. These links are routinely monitored and updated to provide the most current information available.

MORE INFORMATION For more information on this subject, contact or visit the following organizations: Climate Reality Project 750 Ninth Street NW Washington, DC 20001 climaterealityproject.org

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

The Climate Reality Project is an organization that teaches people about climate change and helps them take action to fight it.

US Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004 epa.gov

The Environmental Protection Agency is a federal agency tasked with protecting human health and the environment.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 105

9/28/18 8:41 AM

SOURCE

NOTES Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1. “WE’RE GETTING OUT”

1. Kevin Liptak and Jim Acosta. “Trump on Paris Accord: ‘We’re Getting Out.’” CNN, 2 June 2017, cnn.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. Vanessa Schipani. “Trump on the Paris Agreement.” FactCheck.org, 5 May 2017, factcheck.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 3. Alexandra Simon-Lewis. “What Is the Paris Climate Agreement and Who Has Signed It?” Wired, 7 Nov. 2017, wired.co.uk. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. Dan Merica. “Author of MIT Climate Study Says Trump Got It Wrong.” CNN, 2 June 2017, cnn.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. Liptak and Acosta, “Trump on Paris Accord.” 6. “Donald Trump: ‘America First, America First.’” BBC, 10 Jan. 2017, bbc.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 7. Alex Guillén. “EPA’s Pruitt Basks in Trump Glow after Paris Pullout.” Politico, 6 June 2017, politico.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 8. Callum Borchers and Amber Phillips. “Transcript: President Trump’s Remarks on Leaving the Paris Climate Deal, Annotated.” Washington Post, 1 June 2017, washingtonpost.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 9. Simon-Lewis, “What Is the Paris Climate Agreement and Who Has Signed It?” 10. “Statement by President Trump on the Paris Climate Accord.” White House, 1 June 2017, whitehouse.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 11. Brian Conway. “Pittsburghers Say Yes to Paris at March for Truth Pittsburgh Rally.” Next Pittsburgh, 3 June 2017, nextpittsburgh.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 12. Conway, “Pittsburghers Say Yes to Paris at March for Truth Pittsburgh Rally.” 13. MJ Lee. “Obama Pans Trump Withdrawal from Climate Deal.” CNN, 1 June 2017, cnn.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 14. Alexandra Wilts. “Paris Agreement: Macron Joins World Leaders in Vowing to ‘Make Planet Great Again’ after Trump Quits Climate Accord.” Independent, 2 June 2017, independent.co.uk. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 15. Laura Koran. “US Notifies UN of Intent to Pull Out of Climate Deal.” CNN, 4 Aug. 2017, cnn.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 16. Justin Worland. “50 World Leaders Will Discuss Climate Change in Paris. Donald Trump Wasn’t Invited.” Time, 11 Dec. 2017, time.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 17. Worland, “50 World Leaders Will Discuss Climate Change in Paris.” 18. Simon-Lewis, “What Is the Paris Climate Agreement and Who Has Signed It?” 19. “Macron Awards US Scientists Grants to Move to France in Defiance of Trump.” Guardian, 11 Dec. 2017, theguardian.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 20. “Macron Awards US Scientists Grants to Move to France in Defiance of Trump.”

CHAPTER 2. ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Rob Gutro, “NASA—What’s the Difference between Weather and Climate?” NASA, 1 Feb. 2005, nasa.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 106

9/28/18 8:41 AM

2. Gutro, “NASA—What’s the Difference between Weather and Climate?” 3. Caitlyn Kennedy and Rebecca Lindsey. “What’s the Difference between Global Warming and Climate Change?” Climate.gov, 17 June 2015, climate.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. “Climate Change History.” History, n.d., history.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. Gutro, “NASA—What’s the Difference between Weather and Climate?” 6. “Climate Change History.” 7. “Climate Change History.” 8. Marc Lallanilla. “What Is the Keeling Curve?” Live Science, 2 May 2013, livescience.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 9. “Climate Change History.” 10. “About USGCRP.” GlobalChange.gov, n.d., globalchange.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 11. “Global Temperature.” NASA, n.d., climate.nasa.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 12. Evan Lehmann and Nathanael Massey. “Obama Warns Congress to Act on Climate Change, or He Will.” Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2013, scientificamerican.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 13. Brady Dennis et al. “Trump Administration Releases Report Finding ‘No Convincing Alternative Explanation’ for Climate Change.” Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2017, washingtonpost.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 14. Dennis et al. “Trump Administration Releases Report.”

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 3. ABOUT THE AGREEMENT

1. “Montreal Protocol.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2014, britannica.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. “Responding to Climate Change.” NASA, n.d., climate.nasa.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 3. “Updating Ozone Calculations and Emissions Profiles for Use in the Atmospheric and Health Effects Framework Model.” US Environmental Protection Agency, 27 Feb. 2015, epa.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. “Kyoto Protocol.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Dec. 2017, britannica.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. Douglas Le Comte. “The 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Jan. 2016, britannica.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 6. Le Comte, “The 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference.” 7. Ari Shapiro. “For the Marshall Islands, the Climate Goal Is ‘1.5 to Stay Alive.’” NPR, 9 Dec. 2015, npr.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 8. Le Comte, “The 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference.” 9. “About the Fund.” Green Climate Fund, n.d., greenclimate.fund. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 10. “About the Fund.” 11. Fiona Harvey. “Paris Climate Change Agreement: The World’s Greatest Diplomatic Success.” Guardian, 14 Dec. 2015, theguardian.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 12. Camila Domonoske. “So What Exactly Is in the Paris Climate Accord?” NPR, 1 June 2017, npr.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 13. Harvey, “Paris Climate Change Agreement.” 14. Jennifer Marlon et al. “Majorities of Americans in Every State Support Participation in the Paris Agreement.” Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 8 May 2017, climatecommunication.yale.edu. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 15. Brad Plumer. “Two Degrees: The World Set a Simple Goal for Climate Change. We’re Likely to Miss It.” Vox, 22 Apr. 2014, vox.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

CHAPTER 4. REASONS TO PARTICIPATE

1. “Why Does Climate Change Lead to More Floods and Droughts?” Climate Reality Project, 5 Oct. 2011, climaterealityproject.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. Jim Morrison. “Flooding Hot Spots: Why Seas Are Rising Faster on the U.S. East Coast.” Yale Environment 360, 24 Apr. 2018, e360.yale.edu. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 3. “Overview.” National Climate Assessment, n.d., nca2014.globalchange.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. Chloe Thompson. “Our Climate Is Our Security.” US News, 1 Aug. 2017, usnews.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. Laura Parker. “Who’s Still Fighting Climate Change? The US Military.” National Geographic, 7 Feb. 2017, news.nationalgeographic.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 6. Han Chen et al. “Why the Paris Agreement Is Good for the United States.” NRDC, 31 Jan. 2017, nrdc.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 7. “Clean Jobs America.” Environmental Entrepreneurs, Mar. 2016, e2.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 8. “Clean Jobs America.” 9. “Clean Jobs America.” 10. Tracy Wilkinson. “Trump’s ‘America First’ Policy Changes US Role on Global Stage.” Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2017, latimes.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 107

9/28/18 8:41 AM

SOURCE NOTES

CONTINUED

11. Wilkinson, “Trump’s ‘America First’ Policy Changes US Role on Global Stage.” 12. Wilkinson, “Trump’s ‘America First’ Policy Changes US Role on Global Stage.” 13. Wilkinson, “Trump’s ‘America First’ Policy Changes US Role on Global Stage.” 14. Peter Zimonjic. “Trudeau Tells Trump Canada Is Disappointed by Withdrawal from Paris Climate Deal.” CBC, 1 June 2017, cbc.ca. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 15. Jennifer Marlon et al. “Majorities of Americans in Every State Support Participation in the Paris Agreement.” Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 8 May 2017, climatecommunication.yale.edu. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 5. REASONS TO WITHDRAW

1. “Trump Supporters, Opponents React to Paris Climate Agreement Pullout.” CBS News, 1 June 2017, cbsnews.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. Michael D. Shear. “Trump Will Withdraw US from Paris Climate Agreement.” New York Times, 1 June 2017, nytimes.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 3. Tracy Wilkinson. “Trump’s ‘America First’ Policy Changes US Role on Global Stage.” Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2017, latimes.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. Adam Johnson. “Top 5 Reasons U.S. Should Withdraw from Paris Climate Treaty.” Americans for Tax Reform, 26 May 2017, atr.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. “Top 5 Reasons U.S. Should Withdraw from Paris Climate Treaty.” 6. “How Cap and Trade Works.” Environmental Defense Fund, n.d., edf.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 7. Nicolas Loris and Katie Tubb. “4 Reasons Trump Was Right to Pull Out of the Paris Agreement.” Daily Signal, 1 June 2017, dailysignal.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 8. Loris and Tubb, “4 Reasons Trump Was Right to Pull Out of the Paris Agreement.” 9. Ros Krasny. “Trump Says Ice Caps Are ‘Setting Records’ as He Weighs Paris Deal.” Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2018, bloomberg.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 10. “Climate Change History.” History, n.d., history.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 11. Krasny, “Trump Says Ice Caps Are ‘Setting Records’ as He Weighs Paris Deal.” 12. Adam Frank. “Paris Climate Agreement: Success or Failure?” NPR, 12 Jan. 2016, npr.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 13. David Siders. “More Republican Lawmakers Bucking Their Party on Climate Change.” Politico, 23 Aug. 2017, politico.eu. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 14. Tara Copp. “Dozens of Lawmakers Warn Defense Department: Don’t Whitewash Climate Change Report.” Military Times, 25 July 2017, militarytimes.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 15. Copp, “Dozens of Lawmakers Warn Defense Department.” 16. Coral Davenport and Eric Lipton. “How GOP Leaders Came to View Climate Change as Fake Science.” New York Times, 1 June 2017, nytimes.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 17. Paul Voosen. “Trump White House Quietly Cancels NASA Research Verifying Greenhouse Gas Cuts.” Science, 9 May 2018, sciencemag.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 108

9/28/18 8:41 AM

18. Lucinda Shen. “Coal Mining Jobs Grew in Trump’s First Year in Office—But Here’s Why That Trend May Not Continue.” Fortune, 31 Jan. 2018, fortune.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

CHAPTER 6. LEAVING THE AGREEMENT

1. “Emmanuel Macron Delivers Jab at Donald Trump for Leaving Paris Climate Agreement.” Global News, 11 Mar. 2018, globalnews.ca. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. “On the Possibility to Withdraw from the Paris Agreement: A Short Overview.” United Nations Climate Change, 14 June 2017, unfccc.int. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 3. Chelsea Harvey. “Withdrawing from the Paris Deal Takes Four Years. Our Next President Could Join Again in 30 Days.” Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2018, washingtonpost.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. Thomas Adamson and Philippe Sotto. “Paris Hosts Major Climate Summit—and It’s All about Trump.” US News, n.d., usnews.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. Adamson and Sotto, “Paris Hosts Major Climate Summit.” 6. Paola Tamma. “Climate Finance, the Sticking Point in COP23.” Euractiv, 20 Nov. 2017, euractiv.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 7. Josh Siegel. “California Leads Nine-State Plan to Boost Sales of Electric Vehicles.” Washington Examiner, 20 June 2018, washingtonexaminer.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 8. “Factbox: Critics Lament Trump Climate Move, Supporters Seek New Deal.” Reuters, 1 June 2017, reuters.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 7. AMERICANS RESPOND

1. Paige Winfield Cunningham. “EPA Head Scott Pruitt Defends Paris Exit.” Washington Post, 4 June 2017, washingtonpost.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. Cunningham, “EPA Head Scott Pruitt Defends Paris Exit.” 3. Tom DiChristopher. “The New Coal Jobs the Trump Team Is Touting Might Not Actually Exist.” CNBC, 15 June 2017, cnbc.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. “Sen. Cruz Issues Statement Following President Trump’s Announcement Regarding the Paris Climate Agreement.” U.S. Senator for Texas Ted Cruz, 1 June 2017, cruz.senate.gov. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. “Trump Supporters, Opponents React to Paris Climate Agreement Pullout.” CBS News, 2 June 2017, cbsnews.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 6. “Trump Supporters, Opponents React to Paris Climate Agreement Pullout.” 7. “Trump Supporters, Opponents React to Paris Climate Agreement Pullout.” 8. Ashley Strickland. “Earth to Warm 2 Degrees Celsius by the End of This Century, Studies Say.” CNN, 31 July 2017, cnn.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 9. Madeleine Sheehan Perkins. “A Group Representing $6.2 Trillion of the US Economy Says They’re ‘Still in’ the Paris Climate Agreement.” Business Insider, 5 June 2017, businessinsider.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 10. Perkins, “A Group Representing $6.2 Trillion of the US Economy Says They’re ‘Still in’ the Paris Climate Agreement.” 11. “San Francisco and Oakland Sue Top Five Oil and Gas Companies over Costs of Climate Change.” City Attorney of San Francisco, 19 Sept. 2017, sfcityattorney.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

CHAPTER 8. WHAT LIES AHEAD

1. Justin Worland. “Trump Is Telling Foreign Leaders That the U.S. May Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, Ex-Aide Says.” Time, 23 Feb. 2018, time.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 2. Worland, “Trump Is Telling Foreign Leaders That the U.S. May Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, Ex-Aide Says.” 3. Tracy Wilkinson. “Trump’s ‘America First’ Policy Changes US Role on Global Stage.” Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2017, latimes.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 4. “What Leaving the Paris Climate Accord Means for Corporations.” NPR, 2 June 2017, npr.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 5. “Statement Attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the US Decision to Withdraw from the Paris Agreement.” United Nations Secretary-General, 1 June 2017, un.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 6. Chelsea Harvey. “Withdrawing from the Paris Deal Takes Four Years. Our Next President Could Join Again in 30 Days.” Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2018, washingtonpost.com. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018. 7. Harvey, “Withdrawing from the Paris Deal Takes Four Years.” 8. “Renewable Energy and Jobs.” International Renewable Energy Agency, n.d., irena.org. Accessed 31 Aug. 2018.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 109

10/17/18 7:27 AM

INDEX

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

American Foreign Policy Council, 50 Americans for Prosperity, 67–68 Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), 60–61 Arrhenius, Svante, 22, 24 Ayres, Whit, 66–67 Bezos, Jeff, 54 Bloomberg, Michael, 78 Branson, Richard, 78 Breakthrough Energy Coalition, 54 Brown, Jerry, 79 Bump, Philip, 48 Burns, R. Nicholas, 55 Bush, George W., 56 Callendar, Guy Stewart, 24 Chevrolet, 53 China, 37, 39, 56, 61, 64, 76, 86, 96 Clean Power Plan, 6, 68, 89 Climate Prediction Center (CPC), 21 Cruz, Ted, 85 Department of Defense (DoD), 50, 66 Department of Energy, 27, 70

Fabius, Laurent, 42–43 flooding, 46, 48, 50, 90 fossil fuels, 6, 8, 13, 24, 26, 30, 40, 63, 69–70, 76, 79–80, 87, 90–91 Gallagher, Kelly Sims, 67 Gates, Bill, 54, 78 Geden, Oliver, 45 global warming, 6, 15, 20, 29–30, 46, 64–66, 87, 90, 95, 99 Gore, Al, 20, 86 Green Climate Fund (GCF), 41 greenhouse gases, 6, 13, 24, 31, 34–39, 43–44, 61, 69, 94 Greenpeace International, 43 Herz, Steve, 56 hurricanes, 16, 48 Industrial Revolution, 24, 38 intended nationally determined contribution (INDC), 38–40 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 29 International Energy Agency, 54

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 4, 6, 8, 35, 70

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 110

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Jinping, Xi, 42, 96 Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, 7

Obama, Barack, 6, 10, 29–30, 42, 60–62, 66, 68–69, 94–95 One Planet Summit, 13

Keeling, Charles, 25–27 Kerry, John, 55, 79 Kyoto Protocol, 29, 36–37, 56

Peduto, Bill, 11 Phillips, Tim, 68 Pruitt, Scott, 4, 6, 8, 82, 84

Loris, Nicolas, 62 Lugar, Richard G., 68

Reilly, John, 7 renewable energy, 6, 53, 70, 98 Rose Garden, 4 Ryan, Paul, 60

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Macron, Emmanuel, 12–13, 15–16, 78, 80, 95 Manguiat, Maria, 98 Marshall Islands, 39 Mattis, Jim, 66 McAuliffe, Terry, 88 McCain, John, 66 McConnell, Mitch, 58, 60 Microsoft, 54, 78 Modi, Narendra, 42 Montreal Protocol, 32, 34–35 Mourdock, Richard, 68 Naidoo, Kumi, 43 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 18, 20–21, 27, 34, 67 National Center for Atmospheric Research, 48 National Climate Assessment, 49 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 20–21, 48 National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 51 Nissan, 53 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 55

Schumer, Chuck, 85 sea walls, 39, 90 Shah, Raj, 31 skin cancer, 35 Tesla, 53 Thompson, Chloe, 50 Tillerson, Rex, 55 Trudeau, Justin, 12 Trump, Donald, 4, 6–13, 15–16, 30, 48, 54–57, 60, 62, 64–68, 70, 72, 75–81, 82, 85–89, 92, 94, 96–98 Tubb, Katie, 62 Tyndall, John, 22 United Nations (UN), 13, 29, 35, 38–39, 43–44, 81, 96–97 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 35–36, 38, 41, 74–75 We Are Still In, 87–88 Yale University, 57

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 111

9/28/18 8:41 AM

ABOUT THE

AUTHORS

DUCHESS HARRIS, JD, PHD

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Professor Harris is the chair of the American Studies department at Macalester College and curator of the Duchess Harris Collection of ABDO books. She is the author and coauthor of recently released ABDO books including Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of NASA, Black Lives Matter, and Race and Policing. Before working with ABDO, she authored several other books on the topics of race, culture, and American history. She served as an associate editor for Litigation News, the American Bar Association Section of Litigation’s quarterly flagship publication, and was the first editor in chief of Law Raza, an interactive online journal covering race and the law, published at William Mitchell College of Law. She has earned a PhD in American Studies from the University of Minnesota and a JD from William Mitchell College of Law.

REBECCA ROWELL Rebecca Rowell has put her degree in publishing and writing to work as an editor and as an author, working on dozens of books. Recent topics as an author include Ellis Island and the American middle class. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest

ABD_SPEC_PARI_FPGS.indd 112

9/28/18 8:41 AM

Essential Library

The Paris Climate Agreement

#MarchForOurLives #MeToo #DefendDACA. Today, there is a hashtag for just about every trending topic or issue. But do we really understand the stories behind the hashtags? Keeping up with current events is more important than ever. Special Reports takes you beyond the headlines of some of the biggest issues and events in US and world news today. Learn the background and history that will allow you to distinguish between opinion and fact. In the age of social media, everyone is a reporter. Be an informed one.

TITLES IN THIS SET

Copyright © 2018. ABDO Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

THE CHARLOTTESVILLE PROTESTS THE DREAMERS AND DACA FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING MASS SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA THE OPIOID CRISIS THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT THE REFUGEE CRISIS RUSSIAN HACKING IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS THE SILENCE BREAKERS AND THE #METOO MOVEMENT I S B N 978-1-5321-1680-3

9

90000

781532 116803

Harris, Duchess, and Rebecca Rowell. The Paris Climate Agreement, ABDO Publishing Company, 2018. ProQuest Ebook

EC_P

Harris

SPECIAL REPORTS