As of Thursday, the United States is no longer a part of the of the Paris Climate Agreement, a truly historic treaty that was signed by a whopping 194 countries in 2015 an effort to reduce the effects of climate change. The US now joins only two other nations that did not sign the treaty: Syria and Nicaragua.

The other 194 countries, comprised of both developed nations and third world countries, were all in agreement regarding the need to take action to reduce greenhouse emissions and improve the environment. President Donald Trump announced that, due to terms he personally considered to be unfair, that the US would be “getting out.” He's said that he wants the terms to be renegotiated to favor the US.

To be blunt, people are not pleased.

The initial reaction

According to polls taken, 70% of Americans wanted to stay in the Paris Agreement, and 50% of Trump's supporters agreed. Trump believes that he can renegotiate the terms that have been established, but many believe that he has no intention of re-entering the Paris accord at all. Besides that, European countries have already made it abundantly clear that there is no room for renegotiation.

This news regarding the US' abrupt exit from the Paris accord has ignited outrage and disbelief among many. Studies have been done that prove that serious repercussions following this decision are a strong possibility. Scientists have found that it could lead to extreme weather patterns, an increase in sea levels, and by the end of the century, a 0.3-degree celsius rise in heat.

Global warming, because of this decision, will not go away. It will only get worse. According to the New York Times, this could "set off a cascade of events that would have profound effects on the planet."

Consequently, people have been vocalizing their disagreement with Trump’s decision. Brad Smith of Microsoft said on Twitter that the company is "disappointed with the decision to exit the Paris Agreement."

"Today's decision is a setback for the environment and for U.S.' leadership position in the world," said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein.

Amazon said that the Paris climate agreement has many benefits, saying that, "robust clean energy and climate policies can support American competitiveness, innovation, and job growth." This is very true when one looks at the facts.

Renewable fuels such as solar and wind have been estimated to become a $6 trillion market by 2030, meaning growth in job opportunities and economic success.

Employment in the solar industry is 10 times what it was ten years ago, showing another clear indication of job increase. Worldwide, there are over 8.1 million jobs rooted in the clean energy industry.

Politicians and businesses promise to uphold the accord

Politicians from multiple cities and states have been rallying together to fix this situation, vowing to continue to honor the Paris accord. Support so far has come from several states and close to 70 mayors across the nation.

Governor Jerry Brown from California is a part of this coalition, having described Trump’s decision as being “misguided and insane.” Brown, along with Washington’s Governor Jay Inslee and New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo declared that they’d be forming the United States Climate Alliance to continue taking the steps laid out in the Paris accord to help improve the environment.

Lawmakers in California, spearheaded by Senator Kevin de Leon, requested that Brown form a climate summit as well. Mayors from cities like New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles have followed suit as well, promising to continue to uphold the goals laid out in the Paris Agreement, which includes investing in clean energy, an industry that not only helps the environment but has been growing exponentially in terms of providing viable jobs for workers.

Bill Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburg, a city that Trump specifically singled out when citing his reasons for leaving the Paris accord, tweeted that they "will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement" and added that "it's up to cities to lead."

Scores of mayors, governors, and others have signed a letter pledging their dedication to upholding the Paris accord, and they plan on sending this letter to the UN soon enough.

Politicians aren’t alone in this endeavor to continue the fight to reduce global warming. Businesses including Microsoft, Google, Intel and Uber have also made promises to continue pursuing environmentally friendly options for the sake of the planet's well-being. The CEO of General Electric, Jeff Immelt, summed up their motivations by saying, "Industry must now lead and not depend on government to combat climate change."
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