Governors and Mayors Fight For the Environment

On June 1, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, a move which caused concern from Americans and from others around the globe. The agreement has been agreed upon by most all of the major industrial and developing nations in the world. Nicaragua and Syria are the only other nations not to sign on to this climate agreement. Also the United States is the only nation to remove itself from the terms of the agreement. However, many U.S. governors and mayors aren’t allowing this to deter them from their goal of taking important action to slow global warming.

California Takes the Lead

California has long been a world leader in environmental activism. Back in September 2016, for example, California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 32, legislation which requires the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030–a very ambitious goal. California also has the toughest car emissions standards in the United States.

When the president withdrew the nation from the Paris Accord, Governor Brown responded immediately by joining with Washington, New York, Canada, and Mexico to form the U.S. Climate Alliance, a group committed to honoring the tenets of the Paris Accord. It is true that only world leaders can make international agreements, and so individual states can’t technically sign the Paris Accord. However, they can agree to commit to its standards.

This week, California Governor Brown met with Chinese officials to ask for their help with electric vehicles, from cars to high-speed rail. He emphasized that the cost of electric equipment and batteries need to come down in order for California to be able to meet its environmental goals. California’s new “bullet train” project, which will move people between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours, has run into political and economic difficulty and is still only in the beginning stages of construction. Nevertheless, Governor Brown remains deeply committed to the project.

Others Follow Suit

Within days of Trump’s announcement, over 1,200 governors, mayors, business leaders, and college presidents signed an open letter pledging their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, agreeing to meet the standards set by the Paris Accord even without the White House. The U.S. Climate Alliance now includes twelve states, plus Puerto Rico. Leaders of 211 cities have stepped up as “Climate Mayors” who promise to support the tenets of the Paris Agreement. Companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Target have signed on with their support as well.

The United States can’t actually leave the Paris Accord until November 2020. However, Trump says he will immediately halt any efforts to comply with the agreement.

Dig Deeper Use this article and other internet resources to determine whether or not the governor of your state has signed on to the new U.S. Climate Alliance. Working with a partner, make a list of pros and cons surrounding whether joining the Climate Alliance is a good or a bad thing. Be sure to give good reasons to support your point of view.