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Tesla’s Elon Musk Quits as WH Tech Adviser After Trump Bolts Paris Climate Deal

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On Thursday June 1st, Elon Musk made good on his threat to bail as one of White House’s top tech advisers, after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. Only moments after the President backed out of the climate deal Musk tweeted, “Am departing presidential councils.” “Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” he continued. 

Before resigning, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO sat on two of Trump’s councils: an economic advisory board and the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. As reported by the NY Post, Mr. Musk tweeted an article by Scientific American about climate change, and challenged the United States to do at least as much as China in combating global warming. “Under Paris deal, China committed to produce as much clean electricity by 2030 as the US does from all sources today,” wrote Musk.

While campaigning Mr. Trump had pledged to abandon the climate accord signed by Obama, saying it was a bad deal and a hoax to weaken the US industry. Critics fear that a U.S. withdrawal will strain relations with its allies. Syria and Nicaragua are the only other countries in the world not participating in the ground-breaking 195-nation accord agreed upon in Paris in 2015. Throughout his recent travels European leaders, including the Pope tried to persuade Mr. Trump to stay in the pact.  Big businesses such as Apple, Walmart, Google and even fuel companies including BP, ExxonMobil, and Shell tried to change the President’s mind. But to no avail. “The United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but begin negotiations to re-enter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction in terms that are fair to the United States and its workers. So we’re getting out. We’ll see if we can make a deal. If we can’t, that’s fine,” Trump said. “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” Trump said pointing to the high costs of staying in the deal. 

“Climate change is a global challenge. No county can place itself outside of this,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. “We will continue to resolutely be a protector and promoter of the global climate system process, proactively participating in the multilateral climate change process,” Hua said. In 2007, China surpassed America as the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. The current U.S. withdrawal will give China more opportunity to polish its image as a global leader.

By:  Helen Zaboulani

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