Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a strongly worded e-mail Thursday taking issue with president Trump's move to drop out of the Paris accord.
Climate change is real and we all share a responsibility to fight it. I want to reassure you that today's developments will have no impact on Apple's efforts to protect the environment.
The heads of state and government of Germany, France, and Italy — fellow G7 leader Theresa May was notably absent — issued a joint statement that "[takes] note with regret" President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and hits back at Trump's call to renegotiate the deal.
Summing it up: "We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies, and economies."
And French President Emmanuel Macron gave a televised address on Trump's decision, stating that, "On climate, there is no plan B because there is no planet B," adding, "The United States has turned its back on the world, but France will not turn its back on Americans." The kicker:
Senior White House officials briefed reporters Thursday on the details behind President Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal. They repeatedly insisted that Trump is "sincere" in his promise to renegotiate a better deal for the American economy, and stated that they have no doubts that other countries will work with them:
"Other countries and our allies have a strong interest in coming to an agreement with the US. There is no question that other countries are going to want to sit down with us and talk about a potential way forward."
Note: Shortly after Trump's official announcement to withdraw the U.S., the leaders France, Italy, and Germany released a statement noting their "regret" of the decision, and stated that they "firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated."
As President Trump was announcing that he will take the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, Elon Musk tweeted that he will no longer be working with the Trump administration.
Yesterday: The Tesla CEO, who served on the White House Manufacturing Jobs Initiative and business advisory council, said yesterday that he would "depart councils" if Trump went through with the withdrawal. As Axios' Alexi McCammond notes, Musk's Tesla was one of many major companies, including ExxonMobil and Apple, who urged Trump to remain in the Paris deal.
The White House is spinning the withdrawal from the Paris climate accord by focusing on how Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise, how much it would cost the U.S. to stay in (it's a "BAD" deal for Americans), and how the results from the deal would have been "negligible" anyways, according to documents obtained by Axios.
Keeping a key campaign promise, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement in a Rose Garden speech this afternoon, trumpeting an "America first" message that the United States will forge its own path on climate change — joining Nicaragua and Syria as the only nations outside of the agreement.
Trump's big line: "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh — not Paris."
The key quote: "As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes upon our country."
The mechanism: The U.S. is expected to exit the Paris deal via the formal withdrawal procedures included in the agreement, a process that could take three to four years to complete. The administration chose not to exit the underlying U.N. climate change treaty — which would have been a faster but much more tumultuous choice.
President Trump's decision to pull out of the global Paris climate agreement — joining Syria and Nicaragua as the only countries not in the pact — will signal to the world that his administration does not view climate change as a significant concern.
Focus on this: Trump's call to withdraw might sway other countries around the globe, especially developing countries like India, to move away from an active position on combatting climate change.
A long crack in the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica grew 11 miles last week, leaving only 8 miles until the 2,000 square mile iceberg is set free into the Southern Ocean."There appears to be very little to prevent the iceberg from breaking away completely," according to Project MIDAS researchers
Why it matters: The iceberg breaking off from the ice shelf will not raise the sea level itself, since the ice is already floating. But as the ice shelves thin, glaciers flow quicker into the sea, which could then cause sea levels to rise.
Keep in mind: Larsen C ice shelf has far less ice beneath it than other ice shelves that are losing mass, the Washington Post points out.
Big picture: Another global warming effect resurfaces just as Trump makes his decision on whether to stay in or leave the Paris Climate Agreement today.
The controversial Dakota Access Pipeline of the Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners began operations Thursday. It is now carrying oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to Illinois, per the AP. The oil has started shipping for customers.
Context: It's a grim day for environmentalists — the massive pipeline that was halted under Obama but approved by Trump is starting up the same day Trump is to announce whether he will pull out of the Paris climate deal limiting global carbon emissions. Read Axios' scoop on how Trump has made his decision to withdraw from the accord.
The pushback: Sioux tribes in North and South Dakota are still in federal court working to shut down the pipeline, which they fear could pollute water sources.
In an off-camera briefing Wednesday, Sean Spicer announced a new White House policy on the Russia investigation: "All questions going forward on [Russia] will be referred to outside counsel Marc Kasowitz." This new policy comes the same day James Comey agreed to testify publicly before the Senate Intel Committee as early as next week. Other highlights:
Spicer hedged on the Paris climate deal decision: "I think the President's comments on this that he'll be making a decision in the next few days stand."
On "covfefe": Asked whether Americans should be concerned about Trump's "incoherent tweet," Spicer said "the President and a small group of people know exactly what he meant" to an uproar in the briefing room.
Up next: Trump is welcoming the Vietnamese Prime Minister to the White House this afternoon.
ExxonMobil Corp. shareholders voted 62.3% on Wednesday to start disclosing the financial risk associated with climate change policies, up from a 38% tally last year. The chairman and CEO said the board will now reconsider the matter, and the Union of Concerned Scientists' Kathy Mulvey, who attended the shareholder meeting as a proxy for investors, tells Axios the board is likely to take action in a matter of months.
Why it matters: This a defeat for the board, which said just before the vote it is sharing enough information about the risks climate change policies pose to its business already, that it has "adequately assessed the future impact of policy developments," and that it is investing in technologies that address the challenge. If the board chooses to defy a majority of its shareholders on this matter, the shareholders could invest elsewhere or choose to vote unfavorably on board members or their compensation, Mulvey says.
The mistake many people made in handicapping whether President Trump was going to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal was to think he would change his mind from his campaign promise.
"He's been remarkably consistent on these issues," said Tom Pyle, president of the conservative advocacy group American Energy Alliance, and a close confidant of the Trump administration. "It makes me very happy. I'm not a trade guy, I'm not a healthcare guy."
The people urging him to withdraw were louder, more influential and more relevant to Trump than the people urging him to stay in, even though there were more of the latter than the former.
President Trump has made his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the decision. Details on how the withdrawal will be executed are being worked out by a small team including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. They're deciding on whether to initiate a full, formal withdrawal — which could take 3 years — or exit the underlying United Nations climate change treaty, which would be faster but more extreme.
Why this matters: Pulling out of Paris is the biggest thing Trump could do to unravel Obama's climate legacy. It sends a combative signal to the rest of the world that America doesn't prioritize climate change and threatens to unravel the ambition of the entire deal.
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