World leaders had gathered in Sicily for the G7 summit and one of the main issues was about the paris climate accord which US President Donald Trump declined to sign. It is customary for all G7 countries to sign the official dispatch but the US preferred not to join the climate section of the communique. The document stated while the leaders of six countries and the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission have agreed to the Paris agreement but the US will need more time to arrive at a final decision.
The indecision of Trump
CNN reports that President Donald Trump has indicated that a decision would be taken at a future date on whether the United States will withdraw from the landmark Paris climate accord. It may be recalled that during his campaign he was critical of the accord and had vowed to rip it apart. However, he is in the chair now and his interaction with world leaders in the G7 summit has created rifts.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has apparently admitted that the debate on climate change did not go as planned. The G7 nations wanted U.S. to be a part of the 2015 agreement and she went on to add that the climate talks were far from satisfactory.
French President Emmanuel Macron hoped that the United States will be a part of the Paris agreement.
He did not wish to hurry President Trump on the issue and would wait for him to reconsider the matter and decide in its favor.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said the G7 leaders have agreed that climate was a priority even though Trump was still hesitating and was unable to arrive at his final decision. She asserted that there was full clarity on the subject and that climate change is an important subject as is the role of the Paris agreement.
The effects of climate change
Needless to say, climate change is a major issue that has an adverse effect on the whole world. Global warming melts the ice from the Arctic regions and when ice melts it is transformed into water which increases the sea level. Scientists have been studying this phenomenon for years and have revealed the results from time to time.
They have also cautioned that rise in sea levels could bring floods to large cities that are located near the oceans.
Another effect of climate change is the disturbance in ecological balance and loss of natural habitat of all living beings like animals, birds and fish. They tend to relocate to newer locations and disturb the existing pattern.
Scientists have established that carbon emission is the root cause of global warming and hence concerted efforts must be taken by all concerned to embrace alternative sources on energy and discard fossil fuels. Already six of the seven G7 members have agreed to endorse the Paris climate accord and Donald Trump is the odd man out – let us hope that he also agrees to join the bandwagon and not get isolated.
