Climate agreement departure threatens AZ economy, future

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Leaders of the Senate Democratic Caucus released the following statement on President Trump removing the United States from the Paris Agreement:

"President Trump's decision to back out of the Paris Agreement is an act of ideological folly that will cause long-term damage to Arizona's environment and our economy.

The first decade of this millennium was warmer than any of the 20th century and temperatures are rising still. Multiple climate models show the Southwest will experience some of the worst climate change in the U.S. over the next 40 to 80 years. Those higher temperatures will amplify drought conditions, making water more scarce, and require more energy to cool buildings.

Of the historic "Five C's" of Arizona's economy, the one whose value has never fluctuated is climate. Arizona's weather and natural beauty still draw millions of visitors from around the world each year. In 2015 alone, those visitors put $21 billion into our economy and supported almost 180,000 jobs.

And Arizona's climate provides the nation and the world with fresh fruits, vegetables and grains from our $17 billion-per-year agriculture industry. A lack of water and shifting growing seasons would be devastating to Arizona's farms and the 77,000 jobs they create.

With our abundance of sunshine and our renowned entrepreneurial spirit, Arizona can benefit immensely by welcoming innovative clean power companies that will help us transition from fossil fuel dependency, safeguarding the health of our environment, our economy and our people while creating new, high-skilled jobs.

By pulling out of the Paris Agreement, President Trump is abandoning the majority of Arizonans, and Americans, who support the Agreement and acting counter to the advice of U.S. Senator John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Sticking your head in the sand is not leadership, it's cowardice. Climate change is an issue where the U.S. should be a world leader. Leading in this area can grow our economy at the same time as we protect our world for our children and grandchildren."