President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate change agreement prompted a flurry of rebukes from the American Civil Liberty Union.
Mr. Trump told reporters on Thursday that the U.S. will no longer contribute to the U.N. Green Climate Fund until a deal is worked out that he considers to be in the American people’s best economic interest. Environmentalist groups chided the decision, but other organizations added that minorities would also be adversely affected by the policy shift.
“Pulling out of the Paris Agreement would be a massive step back for racial justice, and an assault on communities of color across the U.S,” the ACLU tweeted to over 1 million followers. “Black and brown people are more likely to live near coal plants, and have higher asthma rates than white Americans do. That disparity is only going to worsen in coming years, and it’s why we must #ActOnClimate if we’re serious about racial justice.”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People echoed that sentiment on its own social media feed.
“Climate impacts real people and real communities=that’s not an “ALT-FACT!” #staywoke,” the NAACP tweeted.
Mr. Trump told reporters from the Rose Garden that protests by other countries were irrelevant when compared to the economic concerns of Americans.
“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” Mr. Trump said. “I promised I would exit or renegotiate any deal that doesn’t serve America’s interests.”
Pulling out of the Paris Agreement would be a massive step back for racial justice, and an assault on communities of color across the U.S.
— ACLU National (@ACLU) June 1, 2017
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.