Trump pulls out of climate deal

[DimPrawn]

KUATB

[pjclarke]

Paris climate deal: Dismay as Trump signals exit from accord - BBC News

He said it would cost the US $3tn (£2.3tn) in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs - while rival economies like China and India were treated more favourably.

Based on a single study financed by the fossil fuel industry.

The speech was full of lies alternative facts. For example he quoted MIT as the source of the claim that Paris would bring about only a 'tiny tiny reduction' in termperatures. MIT were quick to point out the actual number was 4.5 times bigger. See here for a detailed fact check: https://www.theguardian.com/environm...laims-analysed

As I wrote on the other thread on this, this was a dumb move which, apart from the environmental impacts, will not deliver even on its stated aims: more likely it will cost jobs and GDP in the long term, and lose the US any claim it has to be any kind of world leader. The US solar power industry employs 374,000 people, about 102,000 work in wind power, almost three times the 160,000 working in coal mining and power generation. The decline of coal employment has more to do with rising costs as the easy stuff is mined, automation and competition from gas and ever-cheaper renewables than any political 'war on coal'.

The response has been overwhelmingly condemnatory outside the US and internally many cities and states have pledged to carry on with the Paris measures regardless. Sad.

[xoggoth]

For me this is a hmmmm issue.

As a (though not 100%) believer in global warming I think we need to take it seriously but I wonder whether current policies make sense. If we in the more advanced world take actions that damage our own economies and drive manufacture abroad to developing countries where manufacturing is less efficient and the main focus is on increasing economy, will it actually help?

Look at how our contribution to greenhouse gases is calculated. It makes no sense to laud a reduction in CO2 if at least as much is released by producing foreign goods that we buy and then add to it by transportation.

Perhaps some review of these agreements is needed.

PS Quick Google:

Emissions and sinks related to changes in land use are not included in estimates although in areas such as the United States and Europe, changes in land use associated with human activities have the net effect of absorbing CO2.

The use of fuel in ships or aircraft engaged in international transport is also excluded from the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions within the Kyoto Protocol

Seems pretty daft to me.

[BrilloPad]

Paris climate deal: Dismay as Trump signals exit from accord - BBC News

He said it would cost the US $3tn (£2.3tn) in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs - while rival economies like China and India were treated more favourably.