Providing balance

Kol hakavod for striving to provide balance in your June 6 Comment & Features section by providing two views of US President Donald Trump’s move regarding the 2015 Paris climate pact: “A smart decision” and “Worst move of Trump’s life.”

In considering which article is closer to the truth, we should recognize that Trump’s decision to withdraw from a pact agreed to by all of the 195 attending nations, including Israel and the United States, has been condemned by many heads of nations, climate experts, environmentalists, CEOs, religious leaders, governors, mayors and others. It is hard to believe that they could all be wrong.

Nicolas Loris and Katie Tubb, the authors of “A smart decision,” are right in stating that the agreement was not sufficiently strong and left each country free to decide how they would be willing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the Obama administration did not push for a stronger agreement because it would have required congressional approval, and the writers know that this would not be forthcoming because the vast majority of Republican congressional members are, like Trump, in denial about climate change.

Meanwhile, temperatures keep increasing, oceans keep rising, glaciers and polar ice caps keep melting, deserts keep expanding and climate events become increasingly severe. Instead of withdrawing the US from the agreement, Trump should have demanded that it be greatly strengthened to help avert a catastrophe and help shift our imperiled planet toward a sustainable path. RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ Shoresh