President Donald Trump has signed yet another executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. While this agreement is not the only thing we should be doing to protect the planet, it is still a crucial and foundational part of climate action around the world and a driving force for action in our country. Without it, it is likely that we will stray from the path of climate justice and amplify our emissions without consequences from other countries.
The Paris Climate Agreement is a key document that serves as a backbone for global climate action, with the overall goal of mitigating climate change. Relying on the commitment of the countries involved, this agreement aims to slow the rise of global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Each country involved submitted its carbon reduction goals; however, those goals do not have any specific parameters in the document.
Many experts agree that these pledges are not enough because they are not enacted with enough speed or ambition to limit global temperature rising enough. However, many countries have enacted stronger pledges since the agreement’s creation in 2015, which are extremely important starting points to prevent hitting this 1.5-degree mark.
At this year’s annual United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2022, the Loss and Damage Fund was established to assist poorer countries that are disproportionately affected by climate change. This crucial assistance has continued since the establishment of the fund, with many countries increasing their contributions in the following years. Additionally, there have been significant global efforts to cut methane emissions, which are a massive contributor to the rise in global temperatures due to their role in the greenhouse gas effect that traps heat in the atmosphere.
Climate change is the largest problem we are facing as both a nation and a planet. We cannot turn away from it in the name of economic growth, which is what the Trump administration is aiming for by withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement.
If we allow global temperatures to continue rising at the current rate, the effects will be catastrophic. We are already seeing this through the horrifying rise of natural disasters that have been causing mass destruction all over the country, like the wildfires in Los Angeles and the hurricanes all over the southeastern states. These weather patterns are no coincidence, and if we want to protect the people of this country, we need to make significant changes and fast.
Furthermore, as temperatures keep rising, brutal heat waves will continue and worsen, sea levels will rise and submerge vulnerable coastal communities, oceans will become more acidic and less habitable to sea life, arctic ice will thaw and more and more species will be lost as the world becomes inhabitable for them.
Without immediate and drastic action, plants, animals and humans alike will suffer extremely, and there is no planet B. The decisions we make now will impact the generations who follow us. If we want our children and grandchildren to have clean air and water and be able to live safe, healthy lives, we must put in the work to create that planet for them.
The executive order’s claim that it is “putting America first” by growing our economy and leading international climate efforts is very hard to believe, as it does not align with anything that the president has said or done. President Trump has both shown and blatantly told us time and time again that he does not care about climate change and will not do anything to protect the planet we call home. He is far more focused on drilling oil and exporting it from the U.S., no matter the environmental impacts.
Not only that, but Trump has repeatedly spread dangerous misinformation about climate change, encouraging it to be cast aside and directly contradicting actual experts in the field. This contributes to people not believing in climate change and severely slows and limits our ability to take action.
Becoming one of only four countries in the U.N. to not support this agreement is an embarrassment to this country and further proof that it is the wrong decision. This agreement is one of the few things the majority of the world has come together on, and we are isolating ourselves from other countries by withdrawing from it.
By not supporting this foundational document, we are making a statement that the United States is not a country willing to do its part in the fight against climate change, even though we are one of the largest contributors. It is imperative that we do not forget this cause and continue to fight for the well-being of this beautiful planet.
Molly O’Connor, FCRH ’28, is a journalism major from Weymouth, Mass.
