By Kaliya Trias, News Editor
On the initial opening of the Paris Agreement in 2016, 174 countries and the European Union took part in the signing of the accords. Eventually all 197 nations were signed into a global effort to fight climate change by developing a plan to reduce emissions and assess progress every five years.
Although the United States was part of the original group of countries to join, President Trump began withdrawing from the agreement in November of 2019. However, many have argued that it would be beneficial for the United States to rejoin the Paris Agreement due to the harmful effects the nation has on environmental health worldwide.
“The Paris Climate Accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries,” President Trump said. “Leaving American workers — who I love — and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production.”
The main argument the president had was centered around the economic benefits of leaving the accord, claiming it would benefit the American people financially. The 5.13 billion metric tons (one metric ton equaling about 2,205 pounds) of carbon dioxide emission from the United States is expected to diminish economic productivity through the protection of certain jobs. As the jobs in the coal, oil, and gas industries are protected, the long term job opportunities spawning from clean energy industries will negatively affect the economic production within the United States.
“President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement shows a blatant disregard for the wishes of most Americans and business leaders,” marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco said. “Far from ‘protecting America’ as the president stated, withdrawing from Paris will make America more vulnerable and diminish its world leadership.”
Although the United States has a domestic policy regarding pollution with the Environmental Protections Agency (EPA), many Americas agree with the global unity of the Paris agreement. According to a poll organized by Yale, about 70 percent of registered voters believe the United States should participate in the Paris agreement.
“The US should rejoin the Paris agreement because we tend to have an influence on other nations,” junior Salvador Lamadrid said. “Overall it will help preserve the environment, fight global warming, and allow us to join our allies.”
The global effect the United States has on climate change is more impactful than other nations considering it is one of the most largely populated countries in the world. Rejoining the Paris Agreement would allow the U.S. to contribute in the fight against climate change, and provide unity with other nations who are working towards the same cause of reversing the effects of global warming.
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