Robert Reich’s remarks:
As Bill McKibben notes, the Paris accord was a high achievement. After decades of work, the world’s negotiators managed to bring along virtually every nation. It wouldn’t on its own stop climate change but it was intended to send such a strong signal to the world’s governments, and its capital markets, that the targets would become a floor and not a ceiling.
There are signs it is beginning to have that effect: The plummeting price of solar energy just this spring persuaded India to forgo a huge planned expansion of coal plants in favor of more solar panel arrays to catch the sun. China is shutting coal mines as fast as it can build wind turbines.
As the federal government reneges on its commitments, the rest of us will double down on ours. Already cities and states are committing to 100 percent renewable energy. Atlanta was the latest to take the step.
We will make sure that every leader who hesitates and waffles on climate will be seen as another Donald Trump, and we will make sure that history will judge that name with the contempt it deserves. Not just because he didn’t take climate change seriously, but also because he didn’t take human civilization seriously.
By Bill Mckibben
