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- President Trump announced on June 1 that the United States will begin the four-year process of withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords, a greenhouse gas mitigation agreement among 196 countries.
- The White House indicated an intent to renegotiate the Accords, but French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both reaffirmed their commitments to the agreement and stated that it was not open to renegotiation.
- The Paris Climate Accords allow participant countries to set their own greenhouse gas emission goals and determine their own mitigation strategies.
- More than two dozen U.S. corporations, including Shell, Apple, Facebook and Morgan Stanley, signed a letter in support of remaining in the agreement.
- Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt was unable to provide a clear answer as to whether or not President Trump believes that humans play a role in climate change.
- Essential question : What role does climate science play in international politics?
- What consequences, if any, do you think the United States might face in the international community from withdrawing from an agreement it largely negotiated? Explain your answer.
- Most scientists believe that a global surface temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius is the "danger point." What do they predict will happen once this "danger point" is reached? How could you find out if the American withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords would influence how quickly that point will be reached?
- What are some steps that you can take to reduce your own carbon footprint?
Extension Activities:
- Do you believe that the White House's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords was right or wrong? Write a letter to President Trump at the following address, stating your opinion: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500 or email https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
- If everyone in the world lived according to your lifestyle, how many Earths would be required to support the amount of resources consumed? Take the quiz here to find out your ecological footprint: http://www.earthday.org/take-action/footprint-calculator/
