I've talked about the Paris Agreement in a previous post and it is true that the United States is still, technically, a part of the agreement. However, President Trump has pulled us out of the agreement. So, while the country is signed to the agreement, our president has decreed that we will take no part in implementing any of the voluntary measures. It's a matter of semantics, really, but it does pose a big problem for our country. With every country now signed to the agreement, the world at large will be setting goals on reducing carbon emissions and trying to attain these goals...except for the United States of America. We are the only country on the planet, right now, that has no intention to make a goal or to implement the necessary legislation required to reach that goal. To borrow our President's own word: sad!
We in the US pride ourselves on being global leaders in all areas. Yet, here we have an instance where we are leading a parade of one. Some people may find that refreshing in that we're not following and are asserting our independence. But this is not a stance that will benefit anyone but the industries who are pumping out this pollution.
In addition to this disheartening news, we hear of Trump appointees hemming and hawing instead of answering questions before Congress on the validity of climate change. Over and over again, the appointees either deny the fact that the Earth is warming or agree that it is warming but deny that humans have any part in it. It's a sad state of affairs when a few of these people being questioned will directly oversee or participate in departments studying climate change and its effects on our country. I still cannot understand why science is so mistrusted.