The head of US coal mining company Cloud Peak Energy on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to respect the Paris agreement aimed at combatting climate change.

Through an executive order and a budget proposal, Trump recently moved to peel back national policies designed to lower US carbon emissions and meet greenhouse gas reduction pledges under the 196-nation UN Paris climate treaty.

"By remaining in the Paris Agreement, albeit with a much different pledge on emissions, you can help shape a more rational international approach to climate policy," Cloud Peak Energy CEO Colin Marshall wrote in a letter to Trump, which was published by the Axios news site.

Some 21 percent of the energy produced in the United States still comes from coal-fired power plants, but competition from natural gas and renewable energy has hurt mining regions in recent years.

"As a coal producer, we do not want to ignore the two-thirds of Americans who believe that climate change is happening and that CO2 emissions play a role," Marshall said. "US leadership could take the world into a new era of global economic prosperity that also addresses concerns about climate and emissions."

"That leadership requires engagement."

During his campaign for the US presidency, Trump vowed that if elected he would scrap US participation in the Paris agreement.

After his November 8 election, however, Trump has been evasive on the subject, at one point saying he had "an open mind."

Last week the White House announced Trump would make a decision by the end of May.

Tweet

Finding order in chaos to help buffer against climate change
Seattle WA (SPX) Mar 31, 2017
Resilience" is a buzzword often used in scientific literature to describe how animals, plants and landscapes can persist under climate change. It's typically considered a good quality, suggesting that those with resilience can withstand or adapt as the climate continues to change. But when it comes to actually figuring out what makes a species or an entire ecosystem resilient ? and how to ... read more

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only