Florida Democrats criticize Trump — even before decision

Nelson says quitting climate pact would be ‘big mistake.’

W E S T PA L M E A C H — Pre-emptive outrage levels rose precipitously among F l o r i d a D e m o c r a t s o n Wednesday over reports that President Donald Trump would pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson told reporters in West Palm Beach that U.S. withdrawal from the agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would be “a huge mistake

B— 197 countries signed that agreement, albeit a voluntary agreement. What we’re trying to do is save the planet from getting so heated up that there’s no return.”

Nelson and others said Florida is in particular danger from sea-level rise. U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, tweeted a picture of Trump’s Mar- a- Lago estate in Palm Beach partially submerged and asked, Is this what POTUS needs to see before sea level rise is real to him?”

U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, whose d i s t r i c t i n c l u d e s Mar- a - Lago, said on Twitter that withdrawing from the Paris accord would be “a stunning denial of science, putting planet in jeopardy & alienating key allies. Big mistake by shortsighted @POTUS.”

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Delray Beach, piled on as well.

“President Trump’s intent i o n t o p u l l t h e U n i t e d States out of the Paris Climate Agreement is an irresponsible renouncement of American leadership,” Hastings said in a statement released by his offiffice. “The results of abandoning this international framework will be tragic, destructive, and costly, and will undermine the legitimacy of our country on the global stage.”

T wo D e mo c r a t i c c a n - didates for governor also weighed in, with former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham throwing in criticism of Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a leading Trump ally who is expected to run for Nelson’s Senate seat in 2018.

“Whil e t h e re s t o f t h e world moves forward, the United States under Trump and Florida under Rick Scott are in reverse,” said Graham, who opened her gubernatorial campaign in May. “Scott has shown little more than lip service to remedial efffffffffffforts, and Trump reneging on the Paris Agreement will place our environment, economy and national security at even greater risk. As governor, I’ll stand up to climate denier Donald Trump.”

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who’s also seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, said: “Florida is the epicenter for climate change — and these decisions will hit us harder than the rest of the United States. When I’m governor, I’ll fifight to protect our natural resources and future.”

Nelson said the U.S. “sets the example for the rest of t h e worl d” o n re d u c i n g greenhouse gas emissions, and its ac tions influence China and other emerging economies.

If the United St ates i s not doing its part, they’re not going to do it and that means that ultimately the earth will heat up, and on the east coast and west coast of Florida, sea level rise will start over the course of this century to rise another 2 to 3 feet,” Nelson said.

If Trump does withdraw from the agreement, Nelson said, “I’d want the people of Florida to rise up and demand of their elected representatives, at both the state l evel and the loc al level, to insist that we abide by t he vol unt a r y s t a ndards that came out of the Paris accords.”