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The U.S. announced today that it would withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Experts at Heifer International shared their views about the decision:
Pierre Ferrari, president and chief executive officer, received a master’s degree in economics from The University of Cambridge and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has more than 40 years of business experience at companies such as Coca-Cola USA, CARE and the Small Enterprise Assistance Fund.
Ferrari says:
“Walking away from the Paris climate accord is a terrible decision because the U.S. has a moral obligation to play a leading global role in building a low-carbon economy. Every day, we see how climate change challenges the families we work with worldwide – from coffee growers in Honduras to corn farmers in Malawi and families raising goats in Haiti. As they try to feed a growing population, they struggle to adjust to wildly changing weather and face major setbacks with every natural disaster. Continued participation in the Paris agreement and investing in a low-carbon economy are essential, not only to U.S. prosperity, but to ending hunger and poverty worldwide.”
Watch: https://youtu.be/hMCdYuiDDrM
Dr. Ellen Fitzpatrick is an associate professor of economics at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and a scholar in residence at Heifer International. She teaches courses in global development and economics for public service. Her research interests include the integration and evaluation of social capital in developing countries.
Fitzpatrick says:
“President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord diminishes our moral authority in protecting future generations from the adverse effects of growing climate change. Basically, by not being proactive in remediating the effects of our actions, we are imposing a negative externality on future generations. They will pay the costs of our excesses. But in the more immediate realm, we have abdicated leadership in advancing and supporting 21st century technology. Europe continues to be the leader in climate smart energy investment. Capital will continue to move to Europe and the returns of that capital in the form of employment and economic growth will accrue to European initiatives. This was certainly not a good business decision. We can only hope that U.S. businesses will act as if the accord is still in place. This will minimize the uncertainty associated with Trump’s decision and allow U.S. business to develop and maintain a market share in these new industries.”
ABOUT HEIFER INTERNATIONAL?
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For more than 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in nearly 30 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. Heifer’s goal is to help 4 million families achieve living incomes by 2020, which will allow them to feed their families daily; educate all their children; and have proper housing, water, hygiene and other essential resources. For information, visit Heifer.org, read our blog, follow us on Facebook, on Twitter or call 888.5HUNGER (888.548.6437).
