Have you noticed it’s been getting a lot hotter lately? If not, polar bears certainly have, and it’s because US President Donald Trump has been refusing to adhere to the commitments laid out by his predecessor Barack Obama for cutting down carbon emissions in the US, which are the second largest on the planet.
Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University (fancy place) with a specialist expertise in climate change, enough to be the co-editor of “Climate Change,” a peer-reviewed climate change-based journalist, warns that “if we lag, the noose tightens.” Yikes.
Next week, Trump will make his “final decision” regarding whether or not he’ll even stick to the 195-nation UN treaty at all, and if he decides to pull out, computer simulations suggest that the Earth’s temperature could rise by 0.3⁰c.
Scientists explain the consequences
0.3⁰c doesn’t sound like a lot, does it? Well, it is. Do you want a bigger number? Try this one out for size: if Donald Trump pulls out of the Paris treaty, America will emit three billion more tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Scientists say this will melt ice sheets faster, raise sea levels higher, and bring on more extreme weather conditions. Round of applause for Trump, everybody.
