Trump signs against US efforts to combat climate change

World Today

A new order from U.S. President Donald Trump lifting rules meant to combat climate change. Trump wants to rollback regulations created by the last administration.

He said that they hurt industry and kill jobs. CGTN’s Sean Callebs reports.

For U.S. President Donald Trump, the issue is black and white. It is jobs versus the environment. “With today’s executive action, I am taking historic steps to lift restrictions on American energy,” said the U.S. President. With a stroke of the pen, Trump undid a decade or so worth of work.

In the past, Trump has called climate change a hoax. Critics said that by undoing former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, Trump weakens environmental regulations, opening the door to rising sea levels, more air pollution and, perhaps worst, rising global temperatures.

Trump vowed to fight what he calls the “war on coal” by eliminating many government environmental restrictions on mining. Telling coal miners on hand what they dearly want to hear, despite the fact that international demand for coal is falling and automation is putting more and more miners out of work.

It’s unclear if the U.S. will pull out of the historic Paris Climate Agreement; signed in 2015 when dozens of nations joined together in an effort to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emission blamed for global warming.

“It certainly puts our country out of step with science and out of step with global opinion,” Bob Deans, from the National Resources Defense Council said.

China’s Xi Jinping is making environmental protection one of the cornerstones of his presidency. In sharp contrast to the U.S., China continues to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and has emerged as the global leader in developing alternative energy.

Trump’s controversial measure does one more thing. It reignites the highly charged debate on whether humans are influencing the global climate. In this case, the overwhelming answer puts Trump at odds with scientific results.