The planet is in the midst of a meltdown

OPINION:

The planet is in the midst of a meltdown.

Not an environmental inferno, but a hysterical, crazed, politically correct one.

When President Trump vacated the United States’ participation in the rotten Paris climate “deal” last week, the media and many international and even liberal state leaders seemed to spontaneously combust. You could almost see the steam rising, not from the seas but from their ears.

Their seething anger at our president’s refusal to practice insane, open immigration policies that only increase danger to innocent citizens, boiled over when he also rejected the inane mandate to permit the world’s biggest polluters to increase their damage to the earth — all at U.S. expense.

A few CEOs of large American corporations also threw themselves on the raging fire as they resigned in protest from presidential councils and pledged to voluntarily uphold the elements of the Paris agreement on their own.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in anticipation that Mr. Trump would have the gumption to free us from the agreement, proclaimed the astonishing and “horrific” news that Germany would have to take care of itself. Imagine that — a world leader saying that she believes she should actually have to lead her nation to greater independence.

Think about those two reactions for a moment: CEOs volunteering to be more environmentally responsible, and the head of a nation vowing that her country would become more responsible for its own destiny.

Although made in anger and meant as threats by those who made them, if those two promises are upheld, they would be a huge step forward for humanity and for the environment.

As we pray for Great Britain as the victim of repeated terrorist attacks, we should pray that all nations will begin to take decisive real measures to protect their people, their cultures, their economies and the environment.

It’s about time more American companies take additional voluntary measures to stop polluting too. In fact, because some companies and states made clean water and air a priority on their own years ago, the United States is currently a leader among all nations in clean energy.

And the angry statements from business and state leaders here at home, saying that they can do the job themselves, only prove the president’s point: Americans can and will continue to improve the environment without being held hostage by the requirements of the one-sided deal President Barack Obama foolishly agreed to, which would have cost some $3 trillion of our tax dollars to fulfill. They also prove that America can continue to learn and become better stewards of our natural resources, without the loss of 6.5 million industrial sector jobs that would have resulted from Mr. Obama’s bad deal.

Mr. Trump demonstrated that he believes in sound science, sound economics and responsible, effective ways to create a cleaner America by choosing Scott Pruitt, one of the most intelligent environmental champions on the face of the earth, to head the EPA. And last week the president showed the world that the whims, desires and raging demands of world leaders will not be paid for by the sweat and toil of American workers.

Even as leaders in European Union countries continue to allow their heritage and nations to be set ablaze and become breeding grounds for terrorists by allowing an influx of unchecked, unscreened throngs from hostile nations, they mistakenly assumed that hard-working Americans would always come to their financial rescue and fund their global wish lists.

And while they continue to adhere to a document that allows a dangerous nation like China, one of the world’s biggest polluters, to become stronger and increase its pollution levels until 2030, they fully expected the United States to pay some $3 billion to a U.N. climate slush fund. As the reality that a Donald Trump presidency means America will no longer be snookered continues to set in, they stomp their feet like spoiled children and shake their fists at the most benevolent country the world has ever seen.

With the powerful and wise leadership demonstrated by Mr. Trump that liberated us from the clutches of the Paris accord, the unmistakable message has been delivered: The United States will not be held captive by rotten “deals” that endanger our citizens and curtail our freedom. We will protect our borders, our people, our economy and the environment on our own terms. We will not put American lives or livelihoods at risk to inane and international politically correct immigration or environmental dictates.

When the hot-headed world leaders cool off a bit, we should pray that they will realize that the very best, safest and cleanest days are ahead of them if they follow America’s example in practicing the principles of economic liberty, the protection of national sovereignty and effective environmental policies.

• Rebecca Hagelin can be reached at rebecca@rebeccahagelin.com.