As President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement to combat climate change, some of the nation’s most prominent scientists strongly condemned the move and warned about the dire consequences it carries for the fight against global warming.
The U.S. will join Syria and Nicaragua as the only countries not signing onto the 2015 accord. It’s not clear how much Trump’s decision will impact the country’s carbon footprint, as many states, cities and companies have vowed to slash emissions on their own, but the move sends a strong message about the administration’s diplomatic and economic priorities.
Here’s how some members of the scientific community reacted to Thursday’s announcement.
Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz:
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson:
Retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly:
Climate scientist Michael Mann:
Paleoecologist Jacquelyn Gill:
Former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy:
It’s a disappointing and embarrassing day for the United States.
This decision makes zero sense from a public health or an economic perspective. It’s contrary to science and his obligation to protect America’s kids and future generations. It’s contrary to investors and CEOs saying we need to lean in on climate action, not bury our heads in the sand, and it’s contrary to the vast majority of Americans calling for our country to do more.
Television personality Bill Nye the Science Guy:
Astrophysicist Catherine Qualtrough:
Union of Concerned Scientists’ Yogin Kothari:
The organizers of the March for Science:
Science was ignored today. The decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement stands in stark opposition to the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is a real and active threat to communities around the world and to future generations. In addition, the fact that this decision was made without the input of a Presidential science advisor ― a position that, like most of the key scientific leadership positions in the Administration, remains unfilled ― is deeply troubling to all those who care about the role of science in informing policy.
Scientist David Brin: