Trump puts fossil fuel industry before rest of country

It seems to me that President Donald Trump cares more about protecting fossil fuel industry billionaires than he does about our children. Ninety- seven percent of all climate scientists are telling us time is running out and we need to act on the climate problems we have caused by using coal, oil and gas for energy needs. But we’re not going to let Trump destroy the climate and our communities. It’s up to us to keep up momentum by stopping new fossil fuel projects and supporting 100 percent renewable energy. By a 5 to 1 margin, people all across the country support the goals of the Paris Agreement. The transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy is already turning into the greatest economic opportunity and job creator of the 21st century. Illinois alone had more new jobs in the renewable energy sector in the last few years than in any other.

By backing out of this unprecedented international agreement, Trump isolates the U. S. from the rest of the world. The rest of the world will move forward in the transition to 100 percent renewable energy. Now there shouldn’t be any illusions left about whether this administration is a wholly owned subsidiary of the fossil fuel industry.

Elgin signed onto the new Mayor’s Climate agreement today. We can all live sustainably.

Sandy Kaptain, chair, Elgin Green Groups 350. org

Paris accord withdrawal is step backward

After seeing President Trump announce he and the United States “would not sign and would withdraw from the Paris accord,” I feel we are looking backward and will abandon any forward ingenuity. What’s next? Will we kill the internet to favor printing and clear- cutting forests, or the auto industry in favor of carriages and buggy whips? Science and the rest of the world may not have all the answers, but then, there was a time that people felt the world was flat. Maybe President Trump still does, but it is obvious that Gov. Jerry Brown of California doesn’t. Scott R. Zuhr,

Park Ridge