President Donald Trump announced Thursday he will withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate accord that was signed by nearly 200 nations in 2015 and heralded as a rare moment of international collaboration to avert imminent climate disaster. Following the news, landmarks in cities around the world were lit up green in support of the agreement. Democracy Now! was there when demonstrators gathered near City Hall to protest.
AMY GOODMAN: President Donald Trump announced Thursday he’ll withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate accord that was signed by nearly 200 nations in 2015 and heralded as a rare moment of international collaboration to avert imminent climate disaster. He spoke in the White House Rose Garden, surrounded by supporters.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the nonbinding Paris accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country. This includes ending the implementation of the nationally determined contribution and, very importantly, the Green Climate Fund, which is costing the United States a vast fortune.
AMY GOODMAN: The United States is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. As part of the accord, it had committed to providing financial assistance for pollution controls in developing nations. By pulling out of the agreement, Trump stuck to his campaign promise of putting America first.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris. It is time to put Youngstown, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; along with many, many other locations within our great country, before Paris, France. It is time to make America great again.
AMY GOODMAN: In fact, the city of Pittsburgh has a climate action plan committing to boosting the use of renewable energy, and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a Democrat, has been an outspoken supporter of the Paris accord. He…