Bloomberg Promises $15 Million To Help Make Up For U.S. Withdrawal From Climate Deal

Source: npr
Published: Jun 2, 2017
Author: Bill Chappell
Post Date: 2017-06-02 19:45:56 by cranky
Views: 2181

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says his foundation will fill a funding gap left by the U.S.

Michael Bloomberg is pledging to fill a funding gap created by President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, offering up to $15 million to support the U.N. agency that helps countries implement the agreement.

"Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up — and there isn't anything Washington can do to stop us," said Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who now serves as the U.N.'s special envoy on cities and climate change.

"Mayors, governors, and business leaders from both political parties are signing [on to] a statement of support that we will submit to the U.N.," Bloomberg said, "and together, we will reach the emission reduction goals the U.S. made in Paris in 2015."

Dozens of cities have said they are committed to the Paris climate accord, with at least 86 mayors signing a statement saying they will adopt and uphold the agreement's goals.

Under the Paris accord, the U.S. sent some $1 billion to the Green Climate Fund that is guided by the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change — the body that coordinates international climate policy. The U.S. was supposed to provide an additional $2 billion, but Trump has balked at that idea, and his proposed budget includes cuts to international climate programs.

Bloomberg's plan calls for his foundation to work with other groups, from governments to philanthropies, that want to support the U.N.'s climate change agency.

"We are grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies for this generous contribution," UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa said in a news release about the funding pledge.

p>While government funding remains vital, Espinosa said, "this kind of support is crucial for the work of the Secretariat to assist nations in their efforts to implement their commitments under the Paris Climate Change Agreement."

The announcement follows Trump's decision to pull out of the climate deal that nearly 200 nations agreed to in late 2015. As NPR has reported, "the only other countries not part of the agreement are Syria, which is in the midst of a civil war, and Nicaragua, which argued that the Paris accord did not go far enough to curb global emissions."

The architects of the Paris Agreement included Christiana Figueres, who until recently led the UNFCCC.

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#1: calcon    To: cranky (#0)

go ahead and write a check for 3 Trillion you mouthy dickhead

calcon posted on 2017-06-02 20:42:30   Reply   Private Reply

#2: cranky    To: calcon (#1)

go ahead and write a check for 3 Trillion you mouthy dickhead

That will be the day.

Bloomberg only wastes other people's money.

cranky posted on 2017-06-03 06:54:19   Reply   Private Reply

#3: jeremiad    To: cranky (#0)

Section 10 - The Text No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Section 10 - The Meaning Article I, Section 10, limits the power of the states. States may not enter into a treaty with a foreign nation; that power is given to the president, with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate present. States cannot make their own money, nor can they grant any title of nobility.

The Constitution explicitly criminalizes States, Counties, Cities or others from entering into treaties with other States or Countries. I have seen SF, Seattle and California say they will hold to the Climate treaty, they are on very shaky ground with this. Article 1 Section 10 I believe.

jeremiad posted on 2017-06-03 11:07:21   Reply   Private Reply

#4: Tooconservative    To: cranky (#0)

"Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up — and there isn't anything Washington can do to stop us," said Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who now serves as the U.N.'s special envoy on cities and climate change.

Actually, if they try to enter into any legally binding agreement, the feds can certainly stop them. No state or city can enter into international agreements on their own. It is forbidden plainly in the Constitution.

Of course, Nannyfuhrer Bloomberg is free to give the U.N. money and Cuomo and Brown are free to embrace their own (imaginary) goals for pollution reduction as long as they don't codify it as some kind of treaty.

If NY/CA do this, I expect we'll see even more capital and people fleeing those states than at present.

Tooconservative posted on 2017-06-03 13:43:36   Reply   Private Reply