Dr. Conca reports that even as the spokesmen for the new administration indicates it will pull the U. S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the governors of California, WA, NY, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island have banded together to continue to work toward meeting the targets of the global climate accord. These seven states represent almost 15% of the country emissions. Two of the governors are Republican. Many businesses also want to remain in the accord, including Exxon Mobil and Chevron. They understand the global business opportunities and technology sharing that come with being a leader in this agreement.
Thirty CEOs wrote an open letter to the White House, by taking out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, saying that they are writing to express their strong support for the U.S. remaining in the Paris Climate Agreement. These were not just green companies. They included 3M, Campbell Soup, Cargill, Coca-Cola, Corning, Dow Chemical, DuPont, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Pacific Gas and Electric, Procter & Gamble, Tesla, Virgin Group and the Walt Disney Company. Under the Paris Agreement, involving almost 200 nations, the U.S voluntarily committed to reduce emissions by 1.6 billion tons by 2025. But we are well on our way to that target because cheap and plentiful natural gas has lowered U.S. electricity sector emissions by about a billion tons already.
We are actually back to 1990 emissions levels in the electricity industry, down almost 40% from its peak in 2007. Gas, nuclear, hydro and coal generation in California and surrounding states had to do some impressive acrobatics to buffer this dramatic change production, but California is getting lots of expertise in managing high levels of renewables. Now if only California would rethink its foolish decision to shut down the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, which produces as much energy, and emits less carbon, than all the rooftop solar arrays in America.
Original URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2017/06/04/the-paris-agreement-as-trump-pulls-out-governors-jump-in/#2e715bd25c57
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