From Obama to Arnold, US stands united to fight against Trump's decision to quit Paris deal

From American lawmakers, environmentalists to residents, a majority of the country's population slammed Donald Trump's decision to quit the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement on Thursday.

Washington, June 2: Once again the United States has stood up to fight against President Donald Trump's shocking and unilateral decrees. From American lawmakers, environmentalists, celebrities to residents, a majority of the country's population has slammed Trump's decision to quit the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement on Thursday.

"As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country," Trump said in an address in the White House Rose Garden.

With the move, the US joins Nicaragua and Syria as the only other non-participants to the accord, inked by 195 nations, including Washington, in Paris in December 2015, to fight climate change.

Trump said the accord "disadvantages the US to the exclusive betterment of other countries", and targeted India specifically.

Soon after Trump's announcement, the US stood up to protest against the President's rule.

Former President Barack Obama called the move as an abdication of leadership, moments before his successor made it official.

"The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created," Obama said. "I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack."

Former Vice President and well-known environmentalist Al Gore too lashed out at Trump for his latest climate fiasco.

"Removing the United States from the Paris Agreement is a reckless and indefensible action. It undermines America's standing in the world and threatens to damage humanity's ability to solve the climate crisis in time. But make no mistake: If President Trump won't lead, the American people will," Gore said in a statement.

The mayor of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged that the city will continue its commitment to the Paris Agreement even if Trump abandons the historic accords.

"As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future," Democrat Bill Peduto tweeted in a swift, widely read retort to Trump's move.

"I don't believe fighting reality is a good strategy," California Governor Jerry Brown said in a statement announcing the formation of the United States Climate Alliance.

"If the president is going to be AWOL in this profoundly important human endeavor, then California and other states will step up."

Brown, who championed environmental causes when he first served as governor in the 1970s, oversaw an expansion of California's greenhouse gas reduction standards since returning to the post in 2011.

Hollywood actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger criticised Trump for withdrawing the US from the Paris climate deal.

"One man cannot destroy our progress," he said in a video for ATTN. "One man can't stop our clean energy revolution. And one man can't go back in time."

"Protecting our environment will not destroy our economy. The bottom line is, great environmental policies do the opposite. They pump up the economy."

OneIndia News