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For researchers at SUNY-ESF, President Joe Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement signals a renewed commitment to environmental research.

Former President Donald Trump in 2017 pulled out of the agreement, in which countries make efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the rise in global temperature, citing economic concerns. Biden announced plans to rejoin the agreement during his first day in office.

ESF began as a school devoted to the study of forestry, and research in that field could be vital to the agreement’s goal of controlling carbon emissions, said John Hassett, professor of chemistry at ESF. 

While Biden’s speed realigning the country with the climate mission of the rest of the world is a step in the right direction, Trump’s decision to withdraw wasn’t especially damaging for researchers at ESF, Hassett said. 

“The main funders have all continued to fund this sort of research throughout the Trump administration,” he said. “So there’s been this dichotomy between the White House and what the professionals in the scientific agencies are paying attention to.”

John Drake, an assistant professor in the sustainable resources management department at ESF, agreed that the federal agencies responsible for funding research were able to maintain a fair and strong awards process. The fact that they were able to do so despite attempts at political interference is a testament to the strong institutions the scientific community still has, Drake said.

Still, rejoining the international accord will reaffirm the nation’s role in the global fight against climate change and signal a brighter future for environmental research, he said. 

“President Biden’s decision to rejoin the Paris climate accords early in his presidency sends a message that the U.S. is rejoining the global community that acknowledges the reality and importance of climate change, and the urgency for action,” Drake said. 

ESF President Joanie Mahoney has applauded the decision to rejoin the agreement, saying it will bring enthusiasm to students who want to study environmental science and forestry. 

But the fight against climate change will also involve other areas of science beyond environmental science and forestry, Hassett said. Being proactive in fields such as battery innovation and renewable energy will be critical to meeting the Paris agreement’s goals, he said. 

While the decision to rejoin the accords may not have an immediate, tangible impact on the research done by students and faculty at ESF, the renewed national focus on the issue will hopefully conjure much-needed economic and political action, Drake said. 

“The whole scientific community now thinks they have a partner in the White House,” Hassett said. 

Published on February 17, 2021 at 9:20 pm

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2