The symbolic resistance against Trump's climate agenda took another step on Friday evening, when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order reaffirming the city’s commitment to the Paris climate change agreement despite, or rather due to, Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement.
We're taking matters into our own hands. pic.twitter.com/F3zHYHVBFR
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) June 2, 2017
“We here in New York City are shocked at the development this week in Washington, D.C., to see the president of the United States pull out of the Paris accord and literally set this nation, and the whole globe, on the path of denial,” de Blasio said.
De Blasio’s order instructs New York City to adopt the principles of the Paris climate agreement, supporting its key principles of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and keeping a global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius. It also directs city agencies to work with the mayor’s Office of Sustainability to create a plan by September 30 to further reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions, and notes that New York City will work with other U.S. cities, states and countries to meet commitments set in the agreement.
I signed Executive Order 26 because New York City's future is threatened by climate change. We will honor the goals of the #ParisAgreement. pic.twitter.com/ujskQl2q2o
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 2, 2017
“The actions of President Trump have undermined what we’re doing and what cities and states all over the country are doing, and that means we have to go farther,” de Blasio said. “We have to take matters into our own hands.”
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, de Blasio slammed Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the agreement, calling it “horribly destructive.”
De Blasio joins Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, who also signed an executive order this week affirming his city’s compliance with the Paris agreement.
Furthermore, as reported last night, billionaire and former NYC mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced that he is developing a coalition of U.S. states, cities and business leaders to defy the President's decision and comply with the terms of the original deal. And yet, considering that Trump won the presidency among other things on the vow to do precisely what he did, and withdraw from the Paris agreement, some have suggested that while global climate trends may a priority for Bloomberg, a man who flies around the world on a fleet of private jets and whose carbon emissions footprint is an "outlier", it is likely safe to say that a majority of Americans, especially those living outside the safe spaces of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, either disagree, don't feel the urge to be lectured by hypocrites, or simply don't care.
Incidentally, here is the NYT on Mike Bloomberg's carbon footprint:
Meanwhile, speaking of carbon footprints, here is a Elon Musk's brand new Gulfstream G650 ER private jet, purchased in 2015.
Elon Musk private jet (Photo by Royal King)