What is the Paris Agreement?
The 2016 Paris Agreement has been a hot topic in the news this week with the White House sending signals that the President will withdraw the U.S. from the accord, which may actually take a couple of years to enact.
<strong>Update:</strong> The White House has announced that President Trump will withdraw the U.S. from the agreement, saying that the agreement is a "bad deal for Americans".
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2017/590x332_06011817_dff.jpg"/>
The Paris Agreement is the largest, multi-national climate change agreement in history. Currently, 147 out of 197 parties have ratified to the convention.
According to the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">IPCC</a>, global greenhouse gas concentration, which has been steadily rising in the atmosphere, is directly linked to the average global temperature on earth, which has been trending higher since the Industrial Revolution.
Carbon dioxide is the most abundant greenhouse gas and is a product of burning fossil fuels.
The key points to the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php">agreement</a>.........
1. Strengthen global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise since the pre-industrial levels below 2 degrees Celcius. by the end of this century.
2. Pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 deg. C. by the end of the century.
3. Develop a strategy for mobilization and provision of financial resources.
4. Form a new technology framework.
5. Enhanced capacity building framework
6. All parties (signees) must report regularly on their emissions and implementation efforts.
I personally believe that the President's decision is a major mistake, but I am not surprised by it, as he has been signaling his stance on this since last year.
What are your thoughts?
