Trump can’t kill the Paris accord

It has been said that when great deeds are being done, people should lead, follow or get out of the way.

In his reckless, blinkered decision last week to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord, Donald Trump has refused to lead or follow in the most important cause of our time - saving the planet from the global warming caused by humans.

The president has, instead, opted to get out of the way and do nothing.

And while this will weaken the fight against climate change, we suspect many citizens of the other 194 countries that signed the accord will say “good riddance” to the unreliable, unpredictable and generally irresponsible Trump.

Today the United States stands with Syria and Nicaragua as the only nations not to be part of the Paris Agreement which, among other measures, calls for voluntary reductions in carbon emissions.

Trump has certainly sidelined the U.S. federal government in this massive initiative.

But he has not sidelined the United States and he will not stop other nations, including Canada, from doing their part. Of course, it would have been better if the U.S. – the second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China – had stuck with the Paris accord on the national level.

Not only would it have contributed billions of dollars to help other, poorer countries limit their carbon emissions, it could have co-ordinated its efforts with those of other nations.

The U.S. could have been the model for action, the fabled city on the hill - lit by renewables - that would be a shining example to others.

Instead, Trump has shamed the United States and diminished its stature in the world.

To be sure, millions of Americans will not shirk their responsibility in the climate change fight.

After Trump proclaimed he “was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh not Paris,” Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto denounced the president’s stand. In fact, the gutsy mayor reaffirmed his city’s commitment to the Paris accord and its requirements.

Going forward, concerted efforts to halt climate change will continue in the United States at the state and city levels. California and New York are part of regional efforts to cut carbon emissions. Texas has emerged as a trailblazer in wind energy and Arizona in solar power.

Many in the country’s business community remain onside, too. Elon Musk will continue making his remarkable Tesla electric cars. However, he quit as one of Trump’s economic advisers after the president quit the Paris accord. Nor has Trump’s rejection of the Paris accord convinced other nations to do the same.

On the contrary, the Trudeau government has rightly reaffirmed Canada’s pledge to cut carbon emissions.

The European Union and China, meanwhile, have presented a united front in opposing climate change.

It’s amazing how Trump continues to turn the old world order upside down.

With the U.S. government no longer a leader in stopping global warming or defending free trade, Trump has left an enormous power vacuum.

The Chinese are eagerly filling this void. Trump’s vow to “Make America great again” is making America isolated. And he’s helping the 21st century become the century of China.