You will participate in this discussion in two ways: (We need discussions for 2 roles)

1st Role:  As an aide for one of the 22 Republican Senators who signed the letter to President Donald Trump and

 2nd Role:  As an individual playing any of these roles as a responder to the original press release:

a) Democratic or Republican Senator in favor of staying in the Paris Accord,

b)  business leader (https://hbr.org/2017/05/u-s-business-leaders-want-to-stay-in-the-paris-climate-accord )

c) a private citizen

d) a world leader   

1st Role:  Choose a Republican Senator who signed the letter to President Donald Trump.  Your first role is as an aide to this Senator.  You are asked to write a Press Release to the Senator’s constituents on why the Senator signed the letter and supports this position.

Reference Article:

 22 Senators sent President Donald Trump a letter on May 25, 2017

http://2hiwrx1aljcd3ryc7x1vkkah.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Letter-GOP-senators-withdraw-from-Paris.pdf  

The Paris Agreement:

https://unfccc.int/files/essential_background/convention/application/pdf/english_paris_agreement.pdf

Video:

A simple and smart way to fix climate change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2-SzlDGko

Post this press release by Wednesday night to the Discussion Board –

Example Answers For 1st Role: 

Example 1:Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) along with twenty-one U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Trump congratulating the President for his efforts to reduce regulatory burdens facing this country and to urge him to make a clean exit from the Paris Agreement.

Texas is the nation’s largest energy producer, providing nearly one-fourth of the country’s domestic energy production. While we lead the nation in many categories including wind-generated electricity, over regulation and the overstep in authority from the previous administration threatens jobs, businesses, economic growth, and has disproportionately hurt Texas families.

“We have been encouraged by the steps you have taken to reduce the regulatory burdens facing this country. From your many Executive Orders to the signing of 14 laws rolling back regulations from the previous Administration, it is clear you share our commitment to reducing the regulatory burden our businesses face in order to create jobs and grow the economy.”

“For eight years the Obama White House waged a war on American energy producers, and they characteristically overstepped their authority by unilaterally entering into this agreement.  Working together, Congress and the Trump Administration should instead promote innovation-driven energy policies that fit the diverse needs of consumers, businesses, and a growing economy alike.” -Sen. Cornyn

Example 2:

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. R-Texas, along with 21 other Senators, signed a letter sent to President Trump supporting the United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.  Senator Cruz supports the withdrawal from the agreement in a shared commitment to you, the constituents, to growing the economy, creating jobs, and reducing the regulatory drain businesses are facing.  Below are key points supporting the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

• The agreement allows some countries to increase their carbon emissions, while requiring the U.S. to drastically reduce theirs.  Ultimately, these commitments do nothing to significantly decrease global temperatures.
• The standards in the agreement profoundly disadvantage the U.S. in the global economy while unfairly reducing American job growth and wages and increasing monthly utility costs.  As Ted Cruz stated in the May 31st CNN article, “And let’s not forget the massive utility cost increases the agreement would entail. The Clean Power Plan, a major component of fulfilling the agreement, would spike energy costs for working and middle-class Texans by 16% by 2030, according to the Economic Reliability Council of Texas, the entity that operates the electric grid for much of our state.” https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/29/opinions/withdraw-paris-accord-opinion-cruz/index.html
• The fundamental focus of the Paris Agreement is on increasing government control over nearly every aspect of our daily lives.  Senator Cruz stated, “as American voters, we rejected this misguided, top-down, government-know-best approach,” that would control almost every aspect of our daily lives. 
• As Republicans, we support the President’s interest in rescinding the Clean Power Plan rulemaking.  Since the Paris Agreement and Clean Air Act guidelines do not allow for rescinding the Clean Power Plan, remaining in the Paris Agreement could bring about litigation risk upon the Presidential Administration.

Cruz, T. (2017, May 31). Ted Cruz: Trump should withdraw from Paris Climate Pact. CNN. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/29/opinions/withdraw-paris-accord-opinion-cruz/index.html