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Trump Announces US Withdrawal From Paris Climate Accord (reuters.com)

It's official. President Donald Trump announced today that the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, following through on a pledge he made during the presidential campaign. Trump said the Paris agreement "front loads costs on American people. In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but begin negotiations to reenter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States," the president said. "We are getting out. But we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great." Trump said that the United States will immediately "cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord" and what he said were "draconian financial" and other burdens imposed on the country by the accord.

This means that Elon Musk will leave Trump's Business Advisory Council. On Wednesday, Musk said he did "all he could to advise directly to Trump." (Update: Elon Musk is staying true to his words. Following the announcement, Musk tweeted, "Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.")

Twenty-five companies, including Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Google, HP, Microsoft, Salesforce, Morgan Stanley, Intel signed on to a letter which was published on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal today arguing in favor of climate pact.

Update: Former president Barack Obama said the U.S. "joins a small handful of nations that reject the future."

Also, the New York Times points out that despite Trump's public statements, the U.S. can't officially leave the Paris climate agreement until 2020.

3 of 1,109 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Fuck off america by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    This is why the USA has destroyed the world in growth and power. Looking at the market and economies, it seems to continue to do so.

  2. Re:Paris accord is a scam by acebaron · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Agreed. There are much better ways to help the environment. Nuclear should be where our money is spent. Liquid-metal cooling and other design advances greatly reduce the chance of a meltdown. I read this earlier today: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/31...

  3. Re:Fuck off america by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    [citation needed]