Dems in Germany: Trump can’t stop clean energy revolution

A delegation of top Democratic senators over the weekend pushed a message at a climate conference in Germany that the United States would keep its promises on combating climate change, regardless of President Trump’s rhetoric.

Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) attended the conference in Bonn, Germany, where they repeated the phrase, “We are still in,” in opposition to Trump’s declaration that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

“The president of the United States is a powerful person, but he cannot stop clean energy,” Schatz said. “ ‘We are still in’ is not just a message, it’s not just a rhetorical flourish, it’s a fact. You can’t stop clean energy just by a declaration.”

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“Our system of politics is sometimes slow, it’s sometimes complicated, but one thing is very clear,” he continued. “Not one individual person, not even the most powerful person in the United States, can stop the clean energy revolution.”

The senators joined mayors and governors in assuring conference attendees that many U.S. political leaders are committed to meeting the climate goals set forward in the agreement.

I represent the great state of Maryland, a state impacted by unchecked #climatechange. This isn’t just a global fight, it’s an American national security imperative. #COP23 #wearestillin

— Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) November 11, 2017

Trump announced in June that the U.S. would pull out of the international climate accord as soon as it is able to, saying it would hurt American business interests.

Syria announced at the Germany conference that it would join the climate pact, making the United States the only nation in the world not to participate in the agreement if it goes through with the exit.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer were also in Germany over the weekend. Steyer is funding a multimillion-dollar ad campaign calling for Trump’s impeachment.

Bloomberg and California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) are leading a group called America’s Pledge, which consists of 20 U.S. states and more than 50 major cities. The group will continue to pursue reduced carbon emissions and renewable sources of energy.

The group put out a report saying it would need some level of federal action in order to meet its goals.