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Homechevron_rightOpinionchevron_rightEditorialchevron_rightEarth belongs to the...

Earth belongs to the whole humankind, not just America

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Earth belongs to the whole humankind, not just America
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US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced America’s withdrawal from Paris Climate accord weakening the global efforts to curb climate change and its repercussions.

Though the decision wasn’t unanticipated, it’s surely shocking. The US had entered the agreement along with 194 other countries in 2015 and was intended to curb the effects of climate change and chart out survival tactics. It’s an attempt to save the Earth by controlling global warming through cutting down the consumption of fossil fuels and adopting alternative energy sources. The agreement came more than two decades after a demand for a time bound initiative was raised to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. The Obama led US administration agreeing to join in the pact generated immense positive hope. But Trump withdrawing from the agreement, dims this ray of hope. The reason cited for withdrawal was that it was ‘disadvantageous to the US’ but brought in major benefits to other nations. These are just lame excuses given by the premier of one of the most powerful nations for trying to save the core foundation-the planet we live in. Earth belongs to everyone and its destruction is akin to that of the whole humanity. Although scientists have earlier predicted the damage caused by global warming and climate change, people like Trump continue to deny the facts. It seems like that his coal industry, the employees in the US and his own businesses are the only things that matter to him. Given the role of America in causing climate change, the Paris agreement immensely benefits them. Nicaragua that declined to join the deal citing that the accord didn’t go far enough might be sneering at present. While the US that exploits the planet and the atmosphere the most, continue to reap benefits, it’s the island states and the undeveloped countries that bears the brunt the most.

Trump isn’t someone who would understand things like moral responsibility. But he should have had some foresight at least in his own interests. Directing the twenty giant companies in the US to not abandon the deal was considering the loss that could have happened otherwise. Bio fuels are currently replacing fossil fuels across the world. And that America is in the forefront creates a favourable atmosphere for the country. The business privileges the US enjoys at present is also due to this favourable impression. This will be lost and the country isolated with the latest proclamation of withdrawal from the pact. China and the European Union are presently outshining the US in global leadership. The US is also likely to lose support and consideration by other nations. Pulling out from the agreement doesn’t mean that Trump would be able to evade the lengthy withdrawal procedures, that won’t conclude until November 2020. By then his tenure will be over as well. Conversely, if he had stayed in the agreement, the US could have influenced the future decisions. In that case, other than the 100 crore dollars contributed by Obama out of the 300 crore dollars donated by the US to the Green Climate Fund for resolving global pollution, Trump’s victory would only be gaining a profit of 200 crore.

In short, the decision will only adversely affect the US. But heaving a sigh of relief is inane because the looming destruction to the planet and the atmosphere is something that couldn’t be neglected. The US that lost credibility should be dealt with, the same way. Given that the US became the world’s largest economy and first in terms of carbon emissions per capita at the expense of other nations, the countries have the right to reclaim the compensation through other means. For instance, can’t the 194 countries jointly decide to impose a special environment tax on the products manufactured in US? It’s time the world nations thought about means to convince America that the Earth belongs not only to them but to the whole humankind as well.

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