Operation Truth

I can’t say Donald Trump surprised anyone when he announced his decision to withdraw the U.S from the Paris climate agreement. We saw that coming. But it did awaken an unstoppable impulse to say “I object!”

These are the political and moral convictions that are deeply shocked by the accumulation of arguments full of distortions and untruths. To say that Paris was a global conspiracy against the U.S. economy is to substantially alter the profound sense of agreement at the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference, where every country, including the United States, voluntarily agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How does one accept it when the leader of a major world power demagogically says, “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” This is a major fallacy because climate change is not just an issue for Pittsburgh; it’s an issue for humanity.

Therefore, I object when Trump tries to take inspiration from his “solemn duty to America and its citizens” because his decision doesn’t protect his country or its people. There aren’t any borders that wrap around the whole planet to protect it from the greenhouse effect. If the average temperature were to increase to 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit, disastrous effects would extend across every continent. We were already on our way toward disastrous effects when Trump won the election.

I object because Trump, who directs the future of the first world power, spoke from an unacceptable political nearsightedness. He indicated he was “someone who cares deeply about the environment,” but ignored the historic responsibility of the U.S. in the contamination of the atmosphere. The U.S. has been the largest emitter of greenhouse gases since it started to burn carbon and petroleum during the Industrial Revolution and for the next two centuries. Those gasses, especially carbon dioxide and methane, stay in the atmosphere for 100 to 150 years. Their responsibility for emissions has been studied and almost reaches 30 percent. That is why in Paris, and previously in Kyoto, it was determined that each nation’s response must be in accordance with its responsibility regarding the origin of the crisis. Along with the U.S. were others such as Russia, the EU and Japan, while China and India (strong polluters today) agreed to make reductions according to their actual growth.

Why wouldn’t I object in light of the current deception and weakness in Trump’s decision when it is based only on the National Economic Research Associates report? It is an already questionable text because it makes projections about the economic development of the United States without considering the new paths of an economy linked to technological change. Trump could have used, for example, the Environmental Performance Index by a large spectrum of academics from Yale University, which didn’t say that the United States is the leader in world environmental issues. It came in at 26th place.

The agreement cannot be renegotiated just because a country wants it to be. Trump and his advisers know it, but he runs the show. Germany, Italy, France and the General Secretary of the U.N. should tell him no. Nor can he withdraw from the agreement before 2020. What is he looking for? Maybe, as many suspect, he wants to extend the topic until the next presidential election.

All of this calls upon us to promote a truth operation with international reach. To tell the governors of California, Washington, New York and 60 other states and large cities that they are not alone in their fight. That we value their vision for the future when they ratify their commitment to the agreement, make policies, and promise them resources. There are also those, from large corporations to world intellectuals and academics, who feel that the United States should work with the rest of the world to confront this global crisis. It is an opportunity to advance with them in a great truth operation – to use all the available resources and information to demonstrate that there are American people dedicated to saving the planet. The networks, forums, influential debates and artistic events reinforce the significance and the urgency of the Paris climate agreement.

Trump’s environmental advisers have abandoned him, saying that there is “much ignorance”* in his decision. That is the challenge: To expose ignorance with the weapons of truth.

*Editor’s Note: The original quote, although accurately translated, could not be independently verified.