In December 2015, countries gathered in Paris and adopted the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Control (UNFCCC).  The agreement obligates nations to submit voluntary emissions reductions goals which are to be reviewed and increased over time.  The end goal being limiting global temperature changes to less than 2 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial levels.  Critics suggest that the agreement is meaningless because failure to meet the expressed goals contains no legal penalty, and that even if each country meets its stated goals, that will not achieve the stated aim of holding temperatures to a less than 2 degree increase.  In June 2017, President Trump announced that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Deal, although under the terms of that deal, withdrawal cannot take place for 4 years.  So, it is more likely that it will be the next administration that makes the decision.  If President Trump is reelected, the U.S. will likely follow through on its promise to withdraw.

Do you think that the agreement represents a policy move in the right direction, or is the agreement a toothless political deal that whose goals will not be met?  Was President Trump’s decision to announce U.S. withdrawal wise, and do you believe the U.S. should carry out the President’s plan to withdraw?

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In addressing this question, I expect you to engage in the policy analysis that we have been doing throughout the course. Reference the authors in your textbooks and supplemental readings where appropriate, and state your own position. You posting should be no less than 250 words.