President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement is a national and international tragedy. History will look back upon this as one of the gravest errors that the U.S. has ever committed. We now join Syria and Nicaragua as the only countries not in the Paris Climate agreement — really great company!

I have a deep feeling of sadness and disbelief about this. How could Trump turn his back on billions of people for countless generations to come who are depending on us to pass on a livable world to them? It is one of the most immoral actions that have ever been committed.

Not only that, we will lose face with the whole world, leaving a void that China, India and Russia will gladly fill. In addition, it will undermine American security by furthering climate change, which will cause mass displacement of hundreds of millions of people due to starvation and rising sea levels. It will also allow China and other nations to displace the U.S. in the race to be the leader in the green energy revolution and will cost Americans millions of good paying jobs. It is indeed a day that will live on in infamy.

The sad thing is that the withdrawal is based on more erroneous ideas. If America were to adopt a revenue neutral carbon tax, as actually advocated by leading Republicans like George Shultz and James Baker, former secretaries of State and Treasury; Henry Paulson, former secretary of the Treasury; and Rob Walton and Bob Inglis, former Republican congressman, this would both grow our economy, add millions of new American jobs and combat climate change.

America, we need to stand up and tell our leadership that it is out of contact with its citizens. Seventy-three percent of Americans supported staying in the Paris accord. Write our congressmen and our president and tell them there is a better way. A carbon fee and dividend plan is one such way.

Vernon Dixon
Hiawassee