KINGSTON – Ulster County Executive Michael Hein called President Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord “ill-advised and reckless.”
Hein said fostering a sustainable environment should not be a partisan issue.
“It’s really a question of science and sanity,” the county exec said. “Being a denier of climate change or in any way shape or form pretending as if this is good for business, the reality is this – that is absolutely disproven by business leader after business leader after business leader – all coming forward and simply saying, ‘Please, Mr. President, do not pull out of the Paris Accord. Let’s not ignore the reality that future generations will rely on our environmental responsibility.’ Unfortunately, that was not the action that was taken.”
Hein said Ulster is being viewed as “the environmental conscience”
of New York State, pointing to his opposition to fracking, commitment
to alternative fuel vehicles, becoming the first “net carbon neutral”
county in the state and securing 100 percent of the county government’s
electric needs from renewable sources.
He said the county “will continue to move forward and lead with environmental initiatives that exceed the framework of the Paris Accord” and he had praise for Governor Cuomo and the governors of California and Washington, who formed the United States Climate Change Alliance to continue to foster the goals of the Paris Climate Accord.
