A meteorologist gained the attention of hundreds of Twitter users on Wednesday morning when he dug into President Donald Trump’s reported decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord.
Trump’s alleged decision—first reported by Axios, but not yet confirmed by the White House—will take America out of the landmark agreement that 195 other nations signed to help keep the Earth’s temperature below catastrophic levels, invest $100 billion each year to help mitigate effects of climate change, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
It is agreed among nearly all climate scientists that the Earth is warming due to a human-made increase of greenhouse gasses.
Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist, drew attention on Twitter Wednesday when he railed against Trump’s alleged decision to pull out of the agreement—a move that appears to be made on the grounds that it negatively affects the U.S. economy.
“The thing about the Paris agreement that Trump & [company] don’t understand (or maybe understand perfectly) is that all commitments are voluntary,” Holthaus began his series of tweets. “That means withdrawal from Paris is essentially meaningless, except to destroy [international] goodwill. Today Trump said to the world: ‘fuck you.’”
Holthuas then pointed to an article that appeared to show other nations agreeing that they will have to be stronger in light of the United States—one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses—and said Trump is on the “wrong side of history” when it comes to climate change.
“Future textbooks will remember him with contempt,” Holthaus wrote.
The Orange One is clearly on the wrong side of history when it comes to climate change. Future textbooks will remember him with contempt.
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
Holthaus pointed out that even North Korea signed onto the Paris Climate Accord, highlighting how out-of-touch pulling out makes the United States seem to the rest of the world.
Holthaus also showed that Nicaragua, which did not sign the accords because they thought it was not strong enough, is on pace for “90 percent renewable energy by 2020.”
That leaves Mr. Tiny Hands as the lone world leader who hates humanity and all living things so much that he just couldn't help himself.
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
Holthaus ended his stream of tweets by asking people to “talk about” climate change in an effort to bring attention to the issue and help “preserve the habitability of the only planet we have.”
You can read all of Holthaus’s tweets below:
The thing about the Paris agreement that Trump & co don't understand (or maybe understand perfectly) is that all commitments are voluntary.
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
That means withdrawal from Paris is essentially meaningless, except to destroy int'l goodwill. Today Trump said to the world: "fuck you"
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
If anything, Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord seems to have only solidified global resolve.https://t.co/s9mX0vJvU9 pic.twitter.com/LVomTohrp8
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
The Orange One is clearly on the wrong side of history when it comes to climate change. Future textbooks will remember him with contempt.
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
Only Nicaragua (out of protest) and Syria (a failed state) are not a party to the Paris climate agreement.
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
Even North Korea is a signatory.
Nicaragua, who thought the Paris agreement was too weak, is on pace for 90% renewable energy by 2020: https://t.co/Klrsk5hRHU
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017
That leaves Mr. Tiny Hands as the lone world leader who hates humanity and all living things so much that he just couldn't help himself.
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 31, 2017