States Fight Against President in the Fight for Global Climate Change
WASHINGTON D.C. - 14 states and Puerto Rico have created the U.S. Climate Alliance and put out a report showing the efficiency of alternative energy sources. The participating states cut greenhouse gas emissions 15 percent between 2005 and 2015, compared with 10 percent for the rest of the U.S. They are also on track to meet the Paris goal of a 26 percent reduction by 2025.
Economic output in participating states grew by 14 percent from 2005 to 2015 whereas the rest of the country had 12 percent growth. 36 percent of the U.S’s population is within these states. They create a $7 trillion dollar economy, large enough to be the third largest country in the world.
Trump has denied the science behind climate change, even calling it a hoax made by the Chinese to hurt American business. He denied climate change contributing to Hurricane Irma and Harvey, “If you go back into the ’30s and ’40s, and you go back into the teens, you’ll see storms that were very similar and even bigger, OK?” There's important reason for this, the EPA has found the greenhouse gas emissions are a form of pollution that endangers human health and well being. If Trump says that climate change is not real, he's open to lawsuits from environmental agencies for not acting on EPA findings. So instead Trump has rolled back funding and power to the EPA.
When Trump pulled out of the Paris agreement, making America one of two countries to not be a part of it, he never said it was because he didn't believe in climate change. “Not only does this deal subject our citizens to harsh economic restrictions, it fails to live up to our environmental ideals,” he said. “As someone who cares deeply about the environment, which I do, I cannot in good conscience support a deal that punishes the United States.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York says, “In the state of denial, you can drill in the Arctic,” Cuomo added. “You can build in floodplains, build in wetlands, use whatever pesticides you want, burn coal for power. There’s no need for any change. It’s like having a great party on the eve of destruction. But for the other 50 states, we don’t have the luxury of denial. We understand what’s going on, and we have to take very aggressive action.” When your government doesn't believe in something that is right in front of their eyes, the people must stand together.
The states that are part of the U.S. Climate Alliance so far are California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Virginia, Vermont, North Carolina, Delaware and Rhode Island, along with Puerto Rico. The states emit 21 percent of U.S. carbon emissions. Environmental groups are hoping as more states continue to band together and share the technology and policy experience, big businesses will take a stand and eventually the government must change.
