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Thursday, June 01, 2017

Proud To Be A Californian

Link
OLYMPIA - In response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee today announced the formation of the United States Climate Alliance, a coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement and taking aggressive action on climate change.

“I am proud to stand with other governors as we make sure that the inaction in D.C. is met by an equal force of action from the states," said Inslee. "Today’s announcement by the president leaves the full responsibility of climate action on states and cities throughout our nation. While the president’s actions are a shameful rebuke to the work needed to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren, states have been and will continue to step up.”

“The White House’s reckless decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement has devastating repercussions not only for the United States, but for our planet. This administration is abdicating its leadership and taking a backseat to other countries in the global fight against climate change,” said Governor Cuomo. “New York State is committed to meeting the standards set forth in the Paris Accord regardless of Washington’s irresponsible actions. We will not ignore the science and reality of climate change which is why I am also signing an Executive Order confirming New York’s leadership role in protecting our citizens, our environment, and our planet.”

New York, California and Washington, representing over one-fifth of U.S. Gross Domestic Product, are committed to achieving the U.S. goal of reducing emissions 26-28 percent from 2005 levels and meeting or exceeding the targets of the federal Clean Power Plan.

“The President has already said climate change is a hoax, which is the exact opposite of virtually all scientific and worldwide opinion,” said Governor Brown. “I don't believe fighting reality is a good strategy - not for America, not for anybody. If the President is going to be AWOL in this profoundly important human endeavor, then California and other states will step up.”

Together, New York, California and Washington represent approximately 68 million people – nearly one-in-five Americans – and the states account for at least 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Washington will continue to work closely together with other states  to help fill the void left by the federal government.

With input from all participants, the U.S. Climate Alliance will also act as a forum to sustain and strengthen existing climate programs, promote the sharing of information and best practices, and implement new programs to reduce carbon emissions from all sectors of the economy.

1 comment:

jimf said...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/opinion/trump-gratuitously-rejects-the-paris-climate-accord.html
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Trump Gratuitously Rejects the Paris Climate Accord
Paul Krugman
JUNE 1, 2017

As Donald Trump does his best to destroy the world’s hopes of
reining in climate change, let’s be clear about one thing:
This has nothing to do with serving America’s national interest.
The U.S. economy, in particular, would do just fine
under the Paris accord. This isn’t about nationalism;
mainly, it’s about sheer spite. . .

Why, then, are so many people on the right determined to block
climate action, and even trying to sabotage the progress
we’ve been making on new energy sources?

Don’t tell me that they’re honestly worried about the inherent
uncertainty of climate projections. All long-term policy choices
must be made in the face of an uncertain future (duh); there’s
as much scientific consensus here as you’re ever likely to
see on any issue. And in this case, uncertainty arguably
strengthens the case for action, because the costs of getting
it wrong are asymmetric: Do too much, and we’ve wasted
some money; do too little, and we’ve doomed civilization.

Don’t tell me that it’s about coal miners. Anyone who really cared
about those miners would be crusading to protect their health,
disability and pension benefits, and trying to provide alternative
employment opportunities — not pretending that environmental
irresponsibility will somehow bring back jobs lost to strip mining
and mountaintop removal. . .

As I said, however, these days the fight against climate action
is largely driven by sheer spite.

Pay any attention to modern right-wing discourse — including op-ed
articles by top Trump officials — and you find deep hostility to
any notion that some problems require collective action beyond
shooting people and blowing things up.

Beyond this, much of today’s right seems driven above all by
animus toward liberals rather than specific issues. If liberals
are for it, they’re against it. If liberals hate it, it’s good.
Add to this the anti-intellectualism of the G.O.P. base, for whom
scientific consensus on an issue is a minus, not a plus, with
extra bonus points for undermining anything associated with
President Barack Obama.

And if all this sounds too petty and vindictive to be the basis
for momentous policy decisions, consider the character of the man
in the White House. Need I say more?
====


I said it before and I'll say it again -- it's all the fault of
Us Gays. We're gonna cause the downfall of human civilization
(if not quite in the way envisioned by the right-wingers).
We pushed 'em too far, Maudie, with that marriage thing.

Y'know, Trump has kids, and they'll (presumably) have kids.
I do not. Maybe he imagines his descendants will all have
money enough to live on a floating John Galt enclave, and
escape the worst consequences of the Fall of Man.

("I pulled up behind a Cadillac. We were waiting for the light.
I took a look at his license plate. It said, JUST ICE.
Is justice "just ice"? Governed by greed and lust? Just the
strong doin' what they can, and the weak sufferin' what they
must. . .")