President Donald Trump did us all a service this month by removing our country from the lopsided Paris climate agreement. Although many in the media would have you believe otherwise, any objective review of the facts affirms he made the right decision. Given the weight of this issue, those facts are worth repeating.
First, the deal was intentionally designed to force Americans to carry far more than our fair share of the world’s burden.
It was clear from the very beginning at the United Nations Climate Change Conference that the purpose of the agreement was to move every country away from the use of natural resources – like oil and natural gas – and to compel industrialized countries to foot the bill for renewable energy production in the developing world.
With a $20 trillion national debt, America can simply no longer afford to carry the weight for every other country.
Second, the deal was designed to unfairly disadvantage America in relation to other large nations and competitors – even the world’s largest polluters. The United States was expected to come into full compliance years before countries like China and India.
Third, to no one’s surprise, the result of crushing regulations that followed the climate agreement has been the loss of many jobs in our country and a potential loss of millions more within the next 10 to 15 years.
It also hit every American directly in the pocketbook. According to the Heritage Foundation, the Paris deal would cost the average family of four in the U.S. nearly $20,000 by the year 2035.
Fourth, and very importantly, the Paris agreement accomplished almost nothing in exchange for all those extraordinary costs. Even the most optimistic studies projected that if all its conditions were met, the agreement would reduce global temperatures by only 0.2 degree Celsius. That’s a far cry from “saving the planet.”
Fifth, many of the imposed initiatives were already being pursued voluntarily in our country. In fact, over the past five years, CO2 emissions in the U.S. fell by 270 million tons, primarily because of our own development of clean energy technologies.
Americans are doing this not because international politicians and bureaucrats are demanding it, but because it makes good sense. The U.S. has already achieved a 27-year low in CO2 emissions, and that trend will continue.
Few Americans deny that the earth’s climate is changing. Indeed, evidence shows that cycles of climate change have always been a part of the earth’s history. But we don’t need the U.N. dictating to us how to be responsible stewards of what God has given us.
Removing ourselves from the Paris agreement does not signify a retreat from America’s commitment to protect and sustain the environment.
To the contrary, our exit will actually promote economic growth and job creation, both of which will help us along the path to new investment and an even greater innovation in technology and clean energy endeavors.
Louisiana is in a unique position to help lead these endeavors, especially in light of the recent discovery that the Bossier and Haynesville shale formations contain four times the volume of natural gas as previously thought and may amount to the largest continuous natural gas assessments in the history of the U.S. Geological Survey.
The sweet spot for these resources falls directly within Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District, and we have an incredible opportunity to not only utilize the abundant natural resources of our state to help sustain the environment, but also to finally achieve energy independence and better position the U.S. on the world stage.
We should never have to depend on foreign nations for energy production when we have all we need right here.
Facts are facts, and the Paris agreement was simply a terrible deal for the United States and every hard-working American. We can either allow other countries to continue to impose unfair mandates on us, or step up with renewed zeal and show the world once again what real leadership looks like.
What sets America apart is not our ability to sign on to a feel good treaty – but our commitment to do what is right and what is best for generations to come. Leaving the Paris agreement fulfills that commitment.
Mike Johnson, a Republican, is the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, which includes Bossier and Caddo parishes. He lives in Benton.