On Thursday, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry issued a statement criticizing President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which, in effect, declared that as mayor she will not be bound by Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution, which prohibits state governments specifically, and metropolitan governments within states by extension, from entering “into any treaty, alliance, or confederation.”
“The United States of America should be a global leader in addressing the dire impact of climate change on our civilization, and it is very disappointing that President Trump does not see that. As a member of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, I am committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and working with corporations and citizens to do the same, even if the President is not. There’s too much at stake for cities not to lead on this issue, and Nashville will,” Barry said in the statement.
“In 2016, Mayor Barry formed the Livable Nashville Committee, comprised of leaders from Nashville’s public, private, environmental, academic, and philanthropic sectors, and charged its members with developing a shared vision for protecting and enhancing Nashville’s livability and environmental quality. Draft recommendations, which include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, are available to review,” the statement added.
Barry emphasized her statement with this tweet:
If @POTUS won’t lead on Climate Change, cities must. Working w/ @Mayor4Climate to do just that. #ParisAgreement https://t.co/KurB7iYZPP
— Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) June 1, 2017
The Global Covenant of Mayors, to which Mayor Barry has pledged her allegiance, “is an international alliance of cities and local governments with a shared long-term vision of promoting and supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and move to a low emission, resilient society,” according to its website.
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy formally brings together the Compact of Mayors and the European Union’s Covenant of Mayors, the world’s two primary initiatives of cities and local governments to advance their transition to a low emission and climate resilient economy, and to demonstrate their global impact.
The Compact of Mayors was a global coalition of mayors and city officials pledging to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate change, and to track their progress transparently. The Compact was launched in September of 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg. The Compact was activated under the leadership of the global city networks — C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) — and with support from UN-Habitat, the UN’s lead agency on urban issues.
Created in 2008 to implement the EU’s 2020 climate and energy targets, the Covenant of Mayors has firm commitments of over 6800 cities in 58 countries resulting in Action Plans with an investment of over €110 billion.
Like a number of liberal mayors of cities around the United States, mostly Democrats, Barry also signed the “Statement from The Climate Mayors in Response to President Trump’s Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement,” released on the same day.
The President’s denial of global warming is getting a cold reception from America’s cities.
As 187 US Mayors representing 52 million Americans, we will adopt, honor, and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement. We will intensify efforts to meet each of our cities’ current climate goals, push for new action to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, and work together to create a 21st century clean energy economy.
We will continue to lead. We are increasing investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. We will buy and create more demand for electric cars and trucks. We will increase our efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, create a clean energy economy, and stand for environmental justice. And if the President wants to break the promises made to our allies enshrined in the historic Paris Agreement, we’ll build and strengthen relationships around the world to protect the planet from devastating climate risks.
The world cannot wait — and neither will we.
Two other mayors of Tennessee cities, Madeline Rogero of Knoxville and Andy Berke of Chattanooga, have joined Barry as signators on the “Climate Mayors” statement.
In effect, these “Climate Mayors” declared their own foreign policy, in direct opposition to the duly elected President of the United States, who, unlike them, has the constitutional authority to determine the country’s foreign policy.
Constitutional law experts around the country have stated that such declarations are in direct violation of Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution of the United States.
“The fact that the sun rose again this morning was less predictable than the media-Democrat hysteria over President Trump’s entirely reasonable decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Convention on climate change. The decision was clearly right on the merits: The pact, which would do nothing meaningful to address global temperatures, is an exercise in progressive preening, touted by hypocrites who zip to and from climate confabs in their private jets — the kind of “Do as I say, not as I do” lovers of humanity (but loathers of people) who never take one plane when two are available,” former assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy wrote at National Review on Friday.
President Trump’s decision should have been obvious and indisputable, not momentous. That it was not is a measure of detachment from our constitutional moorings.
The Paris Convention is a treaty. Under the Constitution, a treaty does not become law binding on the United States unless the president submits it to the Senate, obtains two-thirds approval there, and then ratifies the treaty. (Contrary to popular belief, the Senate does not ratify treaties; the president does the ratifying, but only if the Senate has consented.) That never happened to the climate agreement. It never had a chance of happening. . .
The Left’s objective was to impose the Paris agreement without making Democratic office-seekers accountable for it. That is exactly what the Constitution is designed to prevent.
Several Democratic governors also decided to oppose the President’s foreign policy, by forming “The United States Climate Alliance.”
“In response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., and Washington State Governor Jay R. Inslee today announced the formation of the United States Climate Alliance, a coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement and taking aggressive action on climate change,” they said in a statement released on Thursday:
“The White House’s reckless decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement has devastating repercussions not only for the United States, but for our planet. This administration is abdicating its leadership and taking a backseat to other countries in the global fight against climate change,” said Governor Cuomo. “New York State is committed to meeting the standards set forth in the Paris Accord regardless of Washington’s irresponsible actions. We will not ignore the science and reality of climate change which is why I am also signing an Executive Order confirming New York’s leadership role in protecting our citizens, our environment, and our planet.”
New York, California, and Washington, representing over one-fifth of U.S. Gross Domestic Product, are committed to achieving the U.S. goal of reducing emissions 26-28 percent from 2005 levels and meeting or exceeding the targets of the federal Clean Power Plan.
“The President has already said climate change is a hoax, which is the exact opposite of virtually all scientific and worldwide opinion,” said Governor Brown. “I don’t believe fighting reality is a good strategy – not for America, not for anybody. If the President is going to be AWOL in this profoundly important human endeavor, then California and other states will step up.”
“I am proud to stand with other governors as we make sure that the inaction in D.C. is met by an equal force of action from the states,” said Governor Inslee. “Today’s announcement by the president leaves the full responsibility of climate action on states and cities throughout our nation. While the president’s actions are a shameful rebuke to the work needed to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren, states have been and will continue to step up.”
“With input from all participants, the U.S. Climate Alliance will also act as a forum to sustain and strengthen existing climate programs, promote the sharing of information and best practices, and implement new programs to reduce carbon emissions from all sectors of the economy,” the statement concluded.
This mayor needs to do more homework. Her city is not independent of the United States of America and therefore all laws adopted by and signed by the President of the United States of America apply to all States and City within its boundaries regardless of what the local governments say.
I would lay money that each one of these governors and mayors have been contacted by Barack Hussein Obama! ¡ they’re all idiots!!
I would say what Nixon did was nothing compared to what these mayors and governors want to do now. The left does not care about the Americans who voted Trump in. They care about who can vote them in. People who are the conservatives be careful who you put in office the next time round.
Nashville voters: Are you going to do anything about this?
What the hell is in the water these people are drinking? Are they all insane. Can’t they read? If they read, can they comprehend? Trump said we are not joining NOW. We are not financing the Paris Accord. The U.S. HAS improved our air quality and will continue to do so. China has not and are not being required to. WHY SHOULD WE FINANCE this fiasco? We shouldn’t. NO MORE FREE RIDES!!!! Thank you President Trump
Ignorant unprofessional incompetent dumb blonde SHOULDN’T HOLD OFFICE
NO MORE TRAINING WHEELS FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Where is the money.coming from to pay the money to these countries. When to the Governors and Mayord start obeying the law.
There should be serious consequences for any politician who uses their position to defy a presidential decision or just arbitrarily shelf the Constitution.
Since this is a direct violation of U.S. Constitutional Law, she, Cuomo, Moonbat Jerry Brown, etc. should all be arrested and removed from office.
Amen Cuomo has got to go he is already stealing NYer’s money to bail out other cities he has our gas prices so high along with our taxes as he rides around in his stretch limo and new helicopter
The constitution doesn’t appt? That should tell you everything you need to know.
Don’t understand what you wrote. All 50 States are under the Constitution of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
ALL STATES ARE REQUIRED TO ABIDE TO THE CONSTITUTION. What President Trump is doing is what is right. He is saving billions of Dollars of America’s money. We have paid other countries MONEY to be in the Paris ACCORD. YOU ARE A MAYOR NOT A PRESIDENT. Next Election will change your job.
My sentiments exactly. When did Nashville leave the USA? I hear France is welcoming all these folk!
Mayor Barry is a typical progressive hack politician who parrots the party line of “cool” global elitists and who wouldn’t know how to interpret a hockey stick graph if their life depended on it.
Maybe she should concentrate on stopping the crime in neighborhoods like Sylvan Park, Belmont and Antioch.(Remember she’s in charge of the police so if they’re ineffectual, she shoulders the blame.) Of course if her dreams come true, Nashville will be a sanctuary city for illegal aliens. That will help the crime rate for sure.
I hear al gore is in the market for a new woman!
Yeah. Kind of surprises me. I thought Tennessee was one of the states where a relative degree of sanity prevailed.
This is my favorite part…
“In 2016, Mayor Barry formed the Livable Nashville Committee, comprised of leaders from Nashville’s public, private, environmental, academic, and philanthropic sectors, and charged its members with developing a shared vision for protecting and enhancing Nashville’s livability and environmental quality. Draft recommendations, which include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, are available to review,” the statement added.
Notice there was no working Americans in this group.
XACTLY IF YOU CONTRIBUTE MONEY TO THE MIX, THEN YOU GET TO DECIDE WHATS GOOD FOR EVERYOBNE ELSE!! I THOUGHT WE LIVED IN A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, NOT A COMMUNIST STATE, WITH ITS RULING AUTOCRATIC CLASS!
This would include your tax dollars being sent to countries that want to kill us. I am not opposed to killing every business in Tennessee. Those smoking tourist on on 2nd ave have to go! This is my plan to improve the Nashville Sharia Law Courts. In my next meeting with the Tennessee Terrorist Counsel, I will carefully outline how the Muslim community can destroy the western way of life starting right here in Nashville. In this subversion attempt of the constitution, I will also institute Nashville as a Sanctuary City despite what the laws of Tennessee say.
She’s a mayor? I’m no official but I got the drift. Come on people, THINK sometimes if you can’t do it every time. Crazy feeble-minded people!!
It appears that “global warming” has had a damaging effect on Mayor Berry’s head. She would be well-advised to deal with the ever growing murders and violent crimes in Tennessee’s “most inclusive city” instead of tilting at the global warming windmill.
Well said. These liberal loonies either don’t read well or they are looking for their 15 minutes of fame. Even if it makes them look like morons.
True. The lack of true ethics and respect for their jobs as leaders for the public good allows them to love that 15 minutes of fame. At worst, they are hypocrites . At best, they are weak minded.
You’re an idiot and anyone who voted for you is too!!!
They sure are. Nobody seems to notice that when Trump pulled out of the Accord, he NEVER said he would not protect this country’s efforts for clean air, just that it was a bad financial deal for U.S. Giving billions away, while Russia, China , and India contributed NOTHING? I don’t think so.
So you think his efforts to revitalize the coal industry are not going to impact air quality? What about his call to reduce funding to the EPA? Oh wait, what about his proposed rule, that for every new regulation two must be removed? If you think any of the above will not have an impact on air quality, then you are an idiot. Pay attention to his whole platform before you start defending him.
it is not up to any group of foreign powers to decide the business affairs of this country.
all they want is u.s .money to redistribute, these countries dont give a damn about climate, they just give a damn about getting our money.
trump was elected easily by americans in red states across the country to represent OUR interest, not some consortium of nations that have no interest in our best interests.
if you want to volunteer to help out the hoax of man-made climate change…you do it, just dont expect real americans to be forced to pay for it, this is nothing but climate ‘obamacare’ for the world’s grifters.
Our borrowed money
Amen
Greg what happened to the Millions of Taxpayer Dollars given to Sollyndra by the Obama Administration.
I think they made a movie about that money. It was called “Gone With The Wind”.
Those billions are either sitting in a Swiss bank account, an offshore account, or the pockets of several damn theives. You can bet Obama got his cut!
You call for alternative energy to reduce a carbon footprint and to limit our dependencies on oil. Yet the oil business will still thrive because you need oil and products of oil to create the machines needed to build, sustain and, replace old and inefficient devices. What’s to come of the old ones? You can only recycle so much. And the recycling process! How will you keep up with the power demand?
Since it seems people are confused with the Paris Agreement here’s the details as far as it pertains to the United States. The US would have had to contribute up to nearly 1 Trillion per year. Paper manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and natural gas cut by up to 15-30%. Steel, iron ore and clean coal cut from 60%-80%. Millions of Jobs would have been lost due to this. Prices of not only energy but EVERYTHING would have gone up. This was a deal not to save the environment but to make the United States the Worlds piggy bank. We get nothing from this deal. Meanwhile the biggest polluter China doesn’t have to cut emissions until the year 2030 and can produce as many coal plants as they want. Wouldn’t you rather have us keep our jobs, low energy costs and figure out a way to increase making CLEAN COAL like we’ve been doing? The next biggest polluter is INDIA and they only agreed to this treaty because they are getting HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars over the next few years to be in this deal. We have some of the cleanest air and water in the world, some of the highest standards, and we have to dish out Trillions to OTHER countries while at the same time losing millions of our own jobs and prices skyrocketing here?! Are you KIDDING ME!? Oh by the way this deal if followed by every country exactly as written would drop the temperature 2/10ths of ONE DEGREE CELSIUS BY THE YEAR 2100. ARE YOU KIDDING!? This deal is a massive joke that does nothing for the environment and only dishes out the United States money to other countries. By the way this would cost every person in America about $100 a year out of pocket. This doesn’t include the thousands more we’d all be paying in higher energy prices and food prices. Think about that people 1 trillion per year from the US while most of the other countries give ZERO or are getting billions from us. BAD DEAL AND I’M THANKFUL TRUMP GOT US OUT OF IT.
Your are absolutely correct. I bet the majority of these Liberals have no clue what the Paris Agreement is, and certainly never read it. Liberals just love throwing money out the window. Trillions of dollars that could be invested in our own country, into helping our country reduce our footprint. Half of the countries are under developed, who is there to ensure they follow through? Why does China, (the biggest abuser of O2) have 30 years of business as usual. How does that help the environment?? Clueless Liberal’s, ugh!!
Exactly. Well said.
Spot on. Tired of libtards deciding to do as they like wether it’s constitutional or nor.
Frankly, I don’t give a damn about Paris or any other country outside of the U.S. I am sick of hearing about the Great United States taking on ALL of the world’s problems and the COST to do so. It’s time to think about making America great again ! Thank you Pres. Trump for keeping your word about these kind of things.
Thanks for this info. Very informative. Of course, liberals don’t want this info getting out!
Amen
Your an absolute moron, that coal was just stopped from being burnt here in America. It is now shipped to India and China who don’t have to follow the emissions rules we so! You LIBERALS are complete buffoons!
TRUTH = DEMOCRAT’S #1 ENEMY
First of all , it was a bad deal why should the US pay a billion dollars while the other countries pay nothing? Secondly it does not take effect till 2021, and POTUS said it would be renegotiated. So think befor you and the other little minions speak. It’s so tiring reading what ignorant people speak especially these mayors who undoubtedly are really stupid. POTUS is looking out for the American people not other countries that do not want to pay they’re far share.
Google agenda 21 and then you will understand the European-based globalist take over using the environment as a tool.
Once again you fail to see the point. The EPA has gotten in the same poor condition as the CIA. Too many money grabbers pushing their agendas. Our President is cleaning the slate of all the ridiculous regulations and starting over. He is t trying to pollute our country, he is trying to clean up the pollution that is the swamp that has been spoken of so much lately.
you are the idiot, coal is the safest and cleanest burning fuel we have for one and two the epa is corrupt and has done more damage in regards to pollution than anyone or anything else. you need to get your facts straight before you run your mouth period
What about when the EPA did this and got away with it?
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/17/us/navajo-nation-sues-epa-in-poisoning-of-a-colorado-river.html
I guess that was ok in your mind then, because it was the EPA that did it….go away troll
The US has a minor impact on CO2 emissions compared to China and India, which aren’t doing anything to hold back emissions. If you want to feel good, just cut off your utilities and fuel purchases. That’s a symbolic yet painful act that will also do very little.
He should disband the EPA. O’Bama had them shutting down everything . Companies here in this country are cleaning up the air. Making their companies more efficient . We are. It in the position to pay out billions to other countries. Don’t u get this country is very much in debt.
Oh wait, you must be a libtard.
Yep no problem—clean coal technology is here and has been for years—–developed by the USA on it’s own without paris. I Barry pledged allegiance to a Golobal Alliance of Mayors—she is no longer eligibecto hold her office here in the USA—against the Us and Tennessee Constitution.
Oh yeah that’s it moron let’s put more Americans out of work. Your the idiot dude wake up snowflake
As compared to China and India, miniscule! If those two countries were under the same obligations as the USA, maybe this would be feasible. By the way, not all regulations relate to climate! Pay attention to reality before you spout nonsense.
Never use logic and ethics when you can employ emotional outbursts.
Because that is the watermark of an intellectual.
Did you pay attention to everything he said? I think not. At the end, he said he was going to try to renegotiate a new deal where the US wasn’t footing the majority of the money. Also to make sure the money went to good use, which it wasn’t.
Now if you knew anything about what is going on you would know that the agreement we were in was unconstitutional. Obama did NOT get authority from the Senate to be able to get into this agreement, so the agreement was and is invalid, or don’t you understand how government works.Trump did the right thing getting us out of an unconstitutional agreement.
Bless you Liz,
FINALLY someone has posted this. Does anybody even know this…Nope. It’s unbelievably. It just amazes me that no one is talking about the BILLIONS of U.S. dollars being funded to other countries. How about funding our own country for a while. Is that ok with you? Cuz if we keep this up there will be no school, no hospitals, no bridges, no roads, no police, no government….NOTHING. Well this is not how I was raised. I was raised as a Proud American. And I wanna be a Proud American again.
You are Absofreakinglutely right. People are so focused on social media bullcrap that they don’t even listen to the plain simple American English he used to explain.
So short sighted… Do you really think that components for clean energy gathering and storage are made from unicorn farts. They are made from synthetic polymers and co-polymers. Synthetically produced semiconductors. There is as much non-biological waste going into our water from such that no one seems to care about… but lets all find a way to hope that potus crashes and burns the economy we are all riding on so you can say “I told you so”… that’s the most important part.
Yes , I agree. This is America !
Agreed
So…. I doubt that Trump or anyone would have a problem with any or every city in the US attempting to be environmentally aware. Trump said himself that America has been and will continue to work towards protecting our earth. Science experts have been divided on the actual impact considering ‘climate change’, yet within reason our country will continue to do our part! Will this mayor send MILLIONS of her constituent’s tax dollars to Paris as well? While knowing China- who is not required to reduce or pay- gets a free pass? I’m glad she wants her city clean- good for her! Most Americans, including our president, feel the same. WITHIN reason. These liberals take the extreme on Every. Single. Move. They act like Trump is going to tell every American to go throw their garbage in the rivers and their chemicals into nursery schools!! This issue with this agreement is the unfairness of it- both cost and practice. It is NOT our country bailing out on doing our part to reduce our footprint on the environment. Way to twist everything AGAIN, mainstream media!
Gail, she worded her statement half correctly. The constitution does apply to Nashville, as well as to every other city in America. She is right that it does not apply to her meeting the Pairis agreement, outside a signed agreement with other nations. She is basically saying the same thing Trump said: we will do it without paying other nations to do it. She just wanted her pretty face on the news and five minutes of glory.
Great point! Let these people send money to Paris.
Lets twist today like we did last summer…..Chubby Checkers
Always a twist on what the POTUS says…..
I totally agree. How the heck do this nut jobs get in office. People who care about America need to turn out and vote this idiots out of office. She is just another obama loonie.
It’s funny when a small town Mayor thinks they are above Federal levels of anything.
Agree!
Liberals should outlawed. Since when can a mayor override the president?
I agree! Where are they finding these people..
Yes, these tree huggers are apparently not aware that China and Indian are not bound by these regulations for the next THIRTEEN YEARS, and the U. S. is paying more than its fair share. Also, these gold plated hypocrites fly to many of their important meetings.
She obviously supports ISIS and wants as many terrorist to come to Nashville as possible.