John Kerry's statement on Trump withdrawal from Paris Accords

[MBS]

Thanks to karrynnj for finding this statement on John Kerry's Facebook page (posted today, June 1, around 4 pm Eastern Daylight Time):
https://www.facebook.com/johnkerry/

My thoughts on today's big mistake by President Trump to put America last - and the big fight he's started:The President who promised "America First" has taken a self-destructive step that puts our nation last. This is an unprecedented forfeiture of American leadership which will cost us influence, cost us jobs, and invite other countries to walk away from solving humanity’s most existential crisis.It isolates the United States after we had united the world.

In 2015, because of American leadership, nearly 200 countries came together around a science-based agreement to grapple with a global threat. For a President to follow that historic step forward by unilaterally walking backwards from science and backwards from leadership on behalf of polluters and fringe ideologues may be the most self-defeating action in American history.Among the only two other countries who didn’t sign on to Paris, one thought it didn’t go far enough and one is embroiled in a bloody civil war. What’s our excuse?

In public service, there are tough calls that can go either way. This wasn’t one of them. For our economy, security, leadership, competitiveness, and health, the clear-cut choice was to remain in the Paris Agreement. There is only one reason to instead make this choice: an ignorant, cynical appeal to an anti-science, special-interest faction far outside the mainstream. That is no basis for a decision that will affect billions of lives. Those of us who have spent a lifetime fighting on this issue know that America pulling out of Paris will not only result in lost leadership, it will also result in lost momentum. If the world doesn't press forward faster, we’ll see stronger storms, longer and more intense droughts, more wildfires, more strains on agriculture and fishing, a swell of climate refugees, and, as military brass has been warning for years, intensified conflict around the world. This choice will rightly be remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made. It is a global stain on our credibility that we will spend years, if not decades, working to remove.

The president’s abdication of responsibility complicates the U.S. climate effort, but it doesn’t kill it. Today is the day for cities, states, and businesses of all sizes to publicly commit to "Live by Paris." I urge concerned citizens across America to join in this effort. Together, we can join the world by honoring the Paris Agreement, despite President Trump’s willful ignorance. Twenty-nine states have passed renewal portfolio standard laws. Another eight have adopted voluntary renewable standards. In total, those 37 states represent 80 percent of the U.S. population. America doesn't have to cede leadership even if its President has. America will not abandon the global community and put its children and grandchildren at risk. While Donald Trump may turn his back on facts and science, America will not.

[MyOwnPeace]

1. Another brilliant American

that was robbed of the chance to serve our country as President.

And then we get Orange Cheato?

[MBS]

3. I share your pain !!!!!! n/t

[karynnj]

2. I first saw the facebook statement because this wonderful article had a link for it

https://www.bustle.com/p/this-photo-of-john-kerry-his-granddaughter-signing-the-paris-deal-is-heartbreaking-61773

After describing Kerry holding his beautiful little granddaughter as he signed for the US at the UN, the article speaks of the speech Kerry gave last November after the election in Marrakech. That conference should have been a last triumph for Kerry after the agreement on methane and the agreement for planes topping a productive year on climate change. The election changed that in an instant.

Here is a quote from the article:

After Trump was elected in November, Kerry gave a speech before the U.N. climate summit in Marrakesh, Morocco. Signaling that he wasn't going to give up the fight against climate change, he made pointed references to Trump's campaign promises. "This is bigger than one person, one president," Kerry said.

I ask you, on behalf of billions of people around the world ... Do your own due diligence before making irrevocable choices. ... No one has a right to make decisions that affect billions of people based on solely ideology or without proper input.
He ended the speech with a reference to his granddaughter, stating, "Let us make clear to the world we will always remember the stakes."

On Thursday, after Trump announced that he would pull the U.S. out of the Paris deal, Kerry issued a scathing statement on Facebook, calling the decision an "abdication of responsibility" and fearing the loss of momentum. But he called for cities, states, and citizens to continue the fight against climate change.

America doesn't have to cede leadership even if its President has. America will not abandon the global community and put its children and grandchildren at risk. While Donald Trump may turn his back on facts and science, America will not.

After seeing his statement and reading this, I remembered the many things that Kerry did that seemed like extraneous activities as secretary of state. In particular I thought of two things. One was a transcript of Kerry engaging with scientists and technologists getting ideas from them, asking them for opinions and encouraging them to work on the finding answers. The other was a conference that he and Michael Bloomberg, then a UN climate change envoy to the cities, held that included mayors from big cities across the world meeting to discuss what they did and what worked and what didn't. Shared information so they could learn from each other. Now with the State Department not leading and Donald Trump running in the wrong direction, those efforts come back to mind. Those connections between cities and between scientists are more important than ever.

Another really encouraging thing is the statement by CA, NY and WA (https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1789301 ) that they are starting a city alliance that will work together. there was also very quickly a long list of mayors committing their cities. ( https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9146088 )
Obviously, these states and cities had to have made contingency plans that they thought they wouldn't need.

[MBS]

4. I watched Kerry's signing in real time,

and I can't get the image of his granddaughter, sitting with him as he signed, out of my head.
. Great leaders make their decisions on the welfare of future generations. They think long-term. ** has chosen to endanger the planet for whatever 24-hour jollies he might get on right-wing media and his twitter feed.

[karynnj]

5. Same here -- and that image comes immediately to mind

It really was iconic. He really had spent a lifetime as a committed environmentalist and developed the connections over decades that he used to get that impossible deal. I don't know if it was his idea or Alexandra's for him to take that adorable little girl up with him to sign it, but it said so much about why this was needed.

I heard the NPR segment with Kerry and was not surprised that he is already speaking of the states, cities and companies acting where the President won't. (It reminded me of many things he was saying on the book tour when the dysfunctional 109th Congress and President Bush were not going to take the lead.) http://www.npr.org/2017/06/02/531173457/john-kerry-weighs-in-on-the-u-s-withdrawing-from-climate-agreement

I like how he seems to be intentionally baiting Trump by saying Trump put America last. I saw a tweet yesterday that I assume was not fact based but it made a good point that now Ortega might sign for Nicaragua because he would not want his country in the same small category as Trump's America. They already have goals that far exceed what most countries have.

Looking at twitter, I do not see any stories yet of any country joining Trump. Russia actually confirmed they were in. However, many articles suggest that this action has actually had the opposite effect to what Trump likely wanted. Jerry Brown was on fire on MSNBC last night speaking of similar minded states working together and maybe with China, Mexico, Canada .. Here is an article that speaks of corporations finally coming completely on board - https://www.vox.com/2017/6/1/15724966/corporate-america-paris-climate-deal Articles that speak of China and India actually moving directly to clean energy as they expand their energy is just what was recommended as far back as the Bali conference.

None of this diminishes Trump's baseness or destructiveness. He is genuinely evil. Not to mention, we all got a huge dose of the complete lies of the far right from his speech. Today, there is a thread that he got "expert" advise from Kimberly Guilfoyle of Fox News, who told him we were already a leader for green energy and we didn't need that "harmful" accord! Somehow she missed that we account for far more than our share of carbon - we are second to China only in raw numbers. Their per capita use is much smaller.

[MyOwnPeace]

6. And Orange Cheat-o

goes to FAUX NEWS for its scientific info?

[ladym55]

7. I saw JK interviewed on CNN

And he said that the vulgar talking yam needed to grow up because it was suggested that we are abandoning the Paris Accords because someone's little feelings were hurt in Europe. Kerry was on fire.

I cannot imagine what it must be like for John Kerry to watch all of his hard work be trashed by petty, stupid little men who want to break everything the black guy did. This isn't just the vulgar talking yam--he was encouraged by 22 of our FINE (???) Rethuglican Senators (I'm looking at you, Ted Cruz, Cornyn, and Inhofe) to abandon the Paris Accords because ... no good reason.

And the equally appalling Mike Pence is puzzled--can't figure out why the left thinks climate change is such a big deal. Today in Iowa he said that the vulgar talking yam cares more about Des Moines than Denmark. I'm not sure what that means, but it seems to suggest that Iowa won't be affected by climate change.

[karynnj]

8. From reading his comments and listening to him

What is clear is that while he is clearly both angry and disgusted, his almost innate response has been that Americans will still stay in - through work of companies, blue cities and blue states. Some of the "infrastructure" for that response predates the Obama administration. 10 Northeastern states have their own cap and trade - Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (REGI) that has worked to reduce emissions since 2008 - it was created in 2005. The West coast especially California has been in front has well.

In addition, Michael Bloomberg, as a UN envoy to cities on climate change worked with the State Department to create a program where cities could share their experiences into what worked and - equally important - things that didn't. Bloomberg has himself committed $15 million from his philanthropy to the UN green fund which the US pledged $3 billion to over time and gave $1 million before Obama left office.

[ladym55]

10. Northeastern states are signing on

Because they can see the benefits. I would love to see more states from the so-called heartland also signing on. Ohio(where I live most of the year) is too tied to fracking of natural gas to reach out to the benefits of renewables, and actually made legislative decisions to hamper the growth of renewables in the state. The decision damaged a new and growing job sector in renewables to support the natural gas lobby.

I am cheering on all the states, cities, and businesses who are taking a stand for the future.

[MBS]

9. I share, in full, his (and your!) frustration and pain. n/t