All in for Climate Action
Published by the Natural Resources Defense Fund
In an utterly reckless move—opposed by mayors, state leaders, county officials, governors and major companies and millions of Americans across our country—President Trump announced on June 1st that he will withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
In the days since, the negative reaction has emphasized just how out of touch the Trump Administration is. Individuals, companies, political leaders and organizations from sea to shining sea are standing strong and pledging to be “all in” when it comes to supporting the Paris climate agreement, and renewing their commitment to tackle climate change and advance clean energy.
Trump cannot stop the progress we’re making in cities and states across the country. Governors, state houses and mayors are standing up to do what’s best for the American people—spurring clean energy innovation, creating good-paying jobs, while protecting our children and communities from pollution. Already since last week more than 1,200 leaders of cities, states, universities and businesses including Apple, Microsoft and Nike have committed to meeting the goals of the Paris agreement to combat climate change and accelerate the shift to clean and renewable energy. They’re sending a clear message: “We’re Still In.”
Trump mistakenly claims that climate action would be costly for America. The truth is that climate inaction is what will be costly—in lives and natural treasures harmed and lost. Climate change is already doing real damage in communities across the United States and around the world. Last year was the hottest year on record. And 16 of the 17 hottest years we’ve tracked occurred this century. We’re seeing an uptick in extreme weather right outside our windows—from devastating drought to widespread flooding to raging wildfires. People care about the damage they can already see. And they care about preventing a future where climate change continues to worsen and further threaten their children and grandchildren.
The science is clear: globally, we must shift away from the fossil fuels that are driving climate change, and toward cleaner, smarter ways to power our future. The survival of millions of people literally is at stake.
And the Paris climate agreement represents the best global effort yet to arrest the consequences of climate change.
President Trump badly underestimated the political and diplomatic blowback from withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. He is equally underestimating the political blowback from his efforts to undermine U.S. climate and clean energy policy through attacks on the Clean Power Plan, the clean car standards, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
He’s dramatically misguided to think that withdrawing from Paris will help the United States in any way. Far from following the U.S. move backward, other countries are moving ahead even more rapidly with clean energy innovation. Many countries already are surpassing their promised climate targets. India, for example, recently moved away from building new coal power plants with clean energy on track to surpass its own goals. In India, solar energy not only costs less than energy from new coal plants, it costs less than energy from existing coal plants. And China is already seeing its climate pollution peak as it accelerates its clean energy investments—leading the world in wind and solar power capacity and creating millions of additional jobs. India and China understand the clear dangers of climate change and they also see clean energy as a strategic industry that’s key to future prosperity. And they are not alone: solar and wind are now the same price or cheaper than new fossil fuel capacity over 30 countries.
Here at home, cities, states and businesses and individuals are saying the same thing: Moving ahead with clean energy makes sense for our health, communities, and bottom line.
The vast majority of Americans—seventy percent of us—want to stay is this agreement endorsed by virtually the whole world. This includes majorities of Americans in every state, with far more Trump supporters in favor of staying in Paris rather than withdrawing. Over 1,000 of the world’s top companies support the U.S. staying in the Paris climate agreement. That includes American companies like Apple, Walmart, Google, Bank of America, Dow—even Exxon and Shell.
And it is no wonder, when the reality of climate action not only make good environmental sense, but also is the innovative reality in our energy market. Two-thirds of all the new electric generating capacity added in this country over the past two years is powered by the wind and sun. Iowa and South Dakota are getting one-third of their electricity from wind turbines. Texas, Oklahoma and North Dakota—big oil states—are all getting more than 20 percent of their electricity from wind turbines that are also helping to support our family ranches and farms. Across the Great Plains, it’s now cheaper to get power from wind turbines than coal plants.
The Trump administration may be trying to move us backward, forfeiting leadership for U.S. policy and businesses when it comes to clean energy innovation. However, the rest of America is asking the world to see this time of Trump as an aberration. Cities, states, businesses and individuals are saying that we’re still in. We’re all in when it comes to climate action. We’re all in when it comes to clean energy. And we’re all in when it comes to the Paris climate agreement.
Make no mistake: If President Trump won’t lead, everyone else will. We are in the middle of a clean energy revolution that no single person or group can stop. That’s how we keep the promise of Paris alive. That’s how we usher in a brighter more prosperous tomorrow.
Tell the world that of your support for climate action and the Paris climate agreement with the I’m Still In petition.
Read the full article at: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/all-climate-action
