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The Big Bluff that Paris deal is solid: truth is Trump can axe it easily

The UNFCCC were trying a weak bluff last week that Trump “would not derail Paris”. Turnbull rushed to sell Australia out to the Paris deal on Nov 10th for no purpose at all even after the US election guarantees two of the largest economies in the world will not be committed to carbon reduction, all of which was obvious from November 9th, 2016. (China — the other “largest” economy has promised to do nothing.)

In a letter to John Kerry on November 3rd,  fourteen US senators explained that Obama’s commitment to the Paris deal is the legal equivalent of him  giving a speech — the “lowest forms of commitment the United States can make…”. It’s worthless.  The Senators explained that everyone knows the Paris deal was done to avoid going through Congress (it’s printed in The Guardian) because Congress would never approve it.

Obama said he had ratified the Paris agreement, but it was a bluff.

What one President can proclaim, the next can just as easily wipe out.

Letter to John Kerry, Climate Agreement, Senate, US.

Source: US Senate Letter in full.pdf  November 3, 2016

The US senators are warning Turnbull, Trudeau, May, Merkel, Hollande and everyone else, that the US is going to fall far short of its carbon commitment, and that the Paris deal is of “no consequence”:

Paris Agreement Parties relying on fulfillment of promised US climate actions should be fully aware that the administrations “commitment” is opposed by the majority of congress, it’s legal soundness is questioned by the US Supreme Court, and under the best of circumstances, the country will fall short of meeting the 26 – 28 percent reduction by a range of forty-five to sixty percent. Most importantly, any future administration will have numerous options to forego President Obama’s political commitments under the Paris Agreement and the fact that it will soon be in force is of no consequence.

 The US Congress, and Donald Trump, have made their position clear all along. Turnbull and Bishop didn’t have to do this. Who were they negotiating for? The Australian population voted twice against carbon schemes.

h/t Amanda B, David B.

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