Musk abandons Trump after U.S. dumps Paris Agreement
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The reading
World-renowned CEO, inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk has decided to leave his position on the Trump business advisory council. This comes after he recently defended his role as advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump. His decision was prompted by Trump's announcement on Friday that the U.S. will pull out of the Paris Agreement – the climate deal established to deal with greenhouse gas emissions from 2020, signed by 195 countries. Mr Musk tweeted: "Climate change is real. Leaving [the] Paris [Agreement] is not good for America or the world." Musk isn't the only prominent figure to walk away from the advisory council. Disney CEO Bob Iger will also step down for similar reasons.
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President Trump has long campaigned in support of the coal and fossil fuel industries. He believes that leaving the Paris Agreement will loosen business restrictions and promote growth. Advocates of Trump's decision believe leaving the agreement will help to revitalize the U.S. coal industry and bring back much-needed jobs and revenue to a previously lucrative industry. World leaders condemned the U.S. withdrawal. France's president said: "There is no plan B on climate, because there is no planet B." With or without U.S. support, the world is on an irreversible trend towards cleaner energy. Leaving the Paris Agreement may be a significant blow to the USA's global influence and leadership in environmental issues.
Sources:
- http://www.space.com/37056-elon-musk-stop-advising-trump-paris-climate-pact.html?utm_content=buffer887c8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/02/elon-musk-and-disney-boss-quit-trumps-business-panel-over-paris-pullout
- http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-elon-musk-climate-change-20170601-story.html
