Showing his complete lack of information on global climate change, Donald Trump claimed being an environmentalist (“As someone who cares deeply about the environment, which I do …;” possibly of his golf course of the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida) in his America First address in the Rose Garden of the White House yesterday. He has apparently a 2015 MIT study in mind when claiming,

Even if the Paris Agreement were implemented in full, with total compliance from all nations, it is estimated it would only produce a two-tenths of one degree — think of that; this much — Celsius reduction in global temperature by the year 2100.  Tiny, tiny amount.  

A correct quotation of one of the numerous alerting conclusions by MIT in its 2015 Energy & Climate Outlook would have been,

Assuming the proposed cuts are extended through 2100 but not deepened further, they result in about 0.2°C less warming by the end of the century compared with our estimates, under similar assumptions, for Copenhagen– Cancun. Other adjustments in our economic projections resulted in another 0.2°C reduction in warming (see Box 2). (Emphasis added.)

As usual, Trump is misleading (by ignoring the expected dramatic increase in surface temperatures). He quotes the Wall Street Journal that  “withdrawing [of the Paris Agreement] is in America’s economic interest and won’t matter much to the climate.”  Well, maybe that’s true. Maybe that’s why the Doomsday Clock has moved its hand to 2 1/2 minutes to midnight.

Unsurprisingly, climate change denier Trump did not bother much with undeniable facts. His remarks have characteristics of a conspiracy theory.

This agreement [the Paris Accord of 2015] is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States.  The rest of the world applauded when we signed the Paris Agreement — they went wild; they were so happy — for the simple reason that it put our country, the United States of America, which we all love, at a very, very big economic disadvantage.  A cynic would say the obvious reason for economic competitors and their wish to see us remain in the agreement is so that we continue to suffer this self-inflicted major economic wound.  We would find it very hard to compete with other countries from other parts of the world.

His address reiterates his dark visions on the occasion of his inauguration on January 20, and has possibly been written by the same people, e.g. his political advisor Stephen Miller. And then this,

At what point does America get demeaned?  At what point do they start laughing at us as a country?   We want fair treatment for its citizens, and we want fair treatment for our taxpayers.  We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore.  And they won’t be.  They won’t be. (Emphasis added.)

Well, he has probably seen G6 representatives and NATO members laughing on the quiet last week upon his unfathomably embarrassing appearances. And had noted, with abomination, German Chancellor Merkel cordially meeting with former president Barack Obama in Berlin. He has not even understood that the Paris Agreement is not a treaty. That it’s voluntary. That it has been heavily criticized by not being binding.

It is hoped that Trump’s withdrawal may eventually lead to concerted efforts of those countries which will stay in the agreement.

But, does he really need to get America to its knees to make it great again? Good luck, Americans!

2 June 2017 @ 6:22 am.

Last modified June 2, 2017.