Paris Climate Pact Triggers Partisan US Reactions

VOA 2015-12-14 09:59

分享到

 

Americans are digesting a global climate accord that is dividing Washington along predictable partisan political lines.

Paris Climate Pact Triggers Partisan US Reactions

Get Flash Player

"This agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet, and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investment," said a jubilant President Barack Obama shortly after the deal was announced Saturday.

"What matters is that today we can be more confident this planet is going to be in better shape for the next generation. And that is what I care about," Obama added.

Congressional Democrats flooded Twitter to hail the accord. Not so Republicans, who announced their opposition even before the deal was struck.

"President Obama has promised to cut back American energy production dramatically," said Republican Senator John Barrasso last week. "The American people oppose sending their money to a United Nations climate slush fund."

'Unattainable,' critics say

In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted the accord as "unattainable" and "based on a domestic energy plan that is likely illegal, that half the states have sued to halt, and that Congress has already voted to reject."

The accord is not a formal treaty and therefore requires no Senate ratification to go into effect. Whoever succeeds Obama in 2017 could halt or continue America's adherence to its provisions.

Republican presidential contenders say the planet can be protected without what they see as Obama's job-killing climate agenda.

"We want to have clean air, we want to have clean water. We do want to have that," said businessman and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump before decrying federal environmental regulations.

'Wrong side of history'

The administration is standing firm.

"A lot of members of Congress are on the wrong side of history," said Secretary of State John Kerry on ABC's This Week program. "And I don't believe you can be elected president of the United States if you do not understand climate change and you aren't committed to this kind of a plan."

Among Democratic presidential contenders, Hillary Clinton called the climate deal "a historic step forward in meeting one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century." In a tweet, Senator Bernie Sanders said the accord "goes nowhere near far enough."

"There is nothing of greater importance than that we leave this planet to our children and grandchildren in a way that is healthy and habitable," Sanders added at a campaign event Saturday.

The accord is sure to spark fierce debate when Congress reconvenes this week.

Vocabulary

jubilant:喜洋洋的

ratification:批准

decry:责难,谴责

来源:VOA

编辑:丁一

 

分享到

中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883561联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。

中国日报网双语新闻

扫描左侧二维码

添加Chinadaily_Mobile
你想看的我们这儿都有!

中国日报双语手机报

点击左侧图标查看订阅方式

中国首份双语手机报
学英语看资讯一个都不能少!

关注和订阅

本文相关阅读
人气排行
热搜词
 
 
精华栏目
 

阅读

词汇

视听

翻译

口语

合作

 

关于我们 | 联系方式 | 招聘信息

Copyright by chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used for any commercial or public use. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 版权声明:本网站所刊登的中国日报网英语点津内容,版权属中国日报网所有,未经协议授权,禁止下载使用。 欢迎愿意与本网站合作的单位或个人与我们联系。

电话:8610-84883645

传真:8610-84883500

Email: languagetips@chinadaily.com.cn