FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 31, 2017
Contact:
Jade Begay, jade@ienearth.org, 505-699-4791
Nina Smith, nina@megaphonestrategies.com, 301-717-9006
Bemidji, MN — Following reports that Donald Trump will end the U.S.’ participation in the Paris Agreement, the Indigenous Environmental Network is responding, denouncing the move and calling for continued resistance to Trump’s disastrous environmental policies.
Tom BK Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, issued the following response:
“Donald Trump is showing us the art of breaking a deal. By potentially abandoning the Paris Agreement, this administration will further perpetuate environmental racism and climate injustice against Indigenous peoples experiencing the worst effects of climate change across the globe. We’ve stated before that the Paris Agreement falls short of embracing the sort of climate solutions that lift up human rights and the rights of Indigenous peoples. Regardless of its shortcomings, it is critical that the United States be held accountable for its contributions to the climate chaos we are seeing across the globe and to take ambitious action to meet the Agreement’s goal to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Backing out of this agreement continues a long history of broken promises and threatens the vital and sacred life cycles of Mother Earth.”
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