Paris withdrawal tells children they don’t matter

I very much appreciated Ani Marathe’s “Sun Setting on U. S. Leadership in the World.” How terribly sad to see the country who fought to protect the world against evil in World War II now abandoning the rest of the world and breaking its commitment by withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement.

For the first time in my life, I feel ashamed to be an American. The message this withdrawal sends is devastating. Climate change will wreak havoc on the environment, and this short-sighted, paranoid, isolationist move has already wreaked havoc on America’s standing in the world. Our security as a nation is left to military buildup and America First orientation rather than the good will and cooperation of the countries of the world. Not only does this decision not acknowledge the Department of Defense’s recognition of the threat posed by climate change, but it also undercuts the need for alliances and the possibility of diplomatic approaches to conflicts.

The decision to withdraw from the accord was made with absolutely no consideration of the context and effort it took to get 195 nations to come together in an unprecedented show of global cooperation to address this significant threat to the our planet. Even though climate change is a problem shared by every person on the planet, the United States, one of the highest per capita emitters of carbon dioxide, is saying it will not stand with the rest of the world in addressing it. Again, I reel in disbelief and shame.

President Trump said that he represents the people of Pittsburgh not Paris, as if one couldn’t care about both. The mayor of Pittsburgh has been quick to express disagreement with this decision. My impulse would be to say that the decision represents profit over principles. But even that is miscalculated and misrepresented. China has recently committed to invest $360 billion in renewables and is creating 13 million new jobs. Countries, businesses, cities and some states have recognized that participating in the commitment to reduce carbon makes good economic sense. The jobs available in renewables far exceed those in coal. Numerous studies have outlined not only the projected loss of GDP due to climate change but also the economic advantage of taking the steps necessary to address it.

But greater than my shame over our standing in the world is my shame before the children of the world who are and who will be gravely affected by climate change. When President Trump saw a picture of a child affected by the war in Syria, he ordered bombing. But what about those affected by drought, flooding, food and water shortages, increased disease (heat-related and respiratory), poverty and war? June 1, 2017 was the day we, as a nation said to these children “You don’t matter.” NANCY BROWN Bella Vista