Climate Change and You: Drill, Baby, Drill, is back!
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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Dear Reader, President Donald Trump has done it again. On Monday, he signed an executive order pulling the US out of the Paris Climate agreement which seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
This is the second time Trump is doing so. This means the US, the largest historical emitter of CO2, will not submit its new target to reduce carbon emissions which is due in February. According to Trump, the Paris climate agreement does not reflect US values and “steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance." Trump also declared a national energy emergency on his first day, threatening to unleash higher levels of oil and gas production, and overturned auto emission standards brought in by his predecessor Joe Biden.
“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will Drill, baby, drill!" Trump said during his inauguration speech. Ironically, these actions come in the aftermath of 2024 turning out to be the warmest on record, and recent wildfires in Los Angeles, California, which showed that nature, unlike societies, do not discriminate between the rich and the poor.
As of mid-January, five major fires around Los Angeles burned over 40,000 acres, destroyed 12,000 homes and caused an estimated damage of over $250 billion. Among those affected are Hollywood actors and celebrities, including Sir Anthony Hopkins and Paris Hilton, who lost their homes. Interestingly, before the fire broke out, insurance companies began cancelling policies in high-risk areas.
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