Trump expected to withdraw from Paris climate agreement

"Okja" is a new film directed by Bong Joon-ho, which unfolds the story of a rural village girl named "Mija" and the super-pig called "Okja." After taking a field trip to a Colorado slaughterhouse before the crank-in, Bong told an interview that he could not even taste meat for 90 days when he saw how animals were "dismantled." It remains to be seen whether the premiere will have impact on the spread of vegetarianism.

Going beyond protecting animals, efforts to reduce meat consumption is becoming an alternative to slow down global warming. Research shows that a cow emits an equivalent amount of the greenhouse gas, which a car produces a year. Speaking before the European Parliament members in 2009, British musician Paul McCartney called for "less meat=less heat," as he explained that "a day of vegetarian diet per week can slow down climate change." The UN Food and Agriculture Organization also emphasized that "a vegan diet is then the most climate friendly lifestyle on an individual level."

Of course, there are limits in tackling climate change individually. Globally coordinated efforts are required, as global warming is a disaster that triggers abnormal climate and threatens humankind. This is why the international community established a cooperation framework through the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Climate Accord Agreement in 2015. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol that mandated only advanced nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Paris agreement extended the scope of signatories to all 195 parties. However, the alliance is expected to undergo a major crack, as recent news pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump has made up his mind to withdraw from the Paris agreement.

Trump also made slandering remarks on the climate change accord, describing that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." The sharp blister came due to jobs. In recent weeks, the Heritage Foundation analyzed that some 200,000 manufacturing jobs will be lost by 2040 due to the regulations to take effect under the current Accord. When the second-largest CO2 emitting nation after China chooses to back away, the Accord itslf will falter and its aftermath will eventually fall upon the world. As the leader of the supernation, Trump is ignoring the fact that with great power comes great responsibilities. Indeed, there are concerns that Trump's reckless decision may speed up an irrevocable catastrophe.