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Arnold Schwarzenegger says 'the people will rise up' to fill void of Trump's Paris Agreement exit

'One man cannot destroy our progress. One man can't stop our clean energy revolution. And one man can't go back in time'

Clarisse Loughrey
Friday 02 June 2017 15:02 BST
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Washington Bureau Chief

People, from all worlds and walks of life, reacted in horror at the news that Donald Trump has decided to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement.

Amongst them Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former California governor, who has delivered a message to Trump that, "as a public servant, and especially as a president, your first and most important responsibility is to protect the people."

Already, "200,000 people die every year in the US from air pollution and half of our rivers and streams are too polluted for our health"; this will only get worse because of Trump's childishly irresponsible actions.

"We remember the great leaders," he continued. "The great leaders that don't walk backwards into the past, but great leaders that charge forward towards the future. You see, the people will rise up. Local and state governments will rise up. Other leaders from local governments will rise up and fill the void that you are creating."

Schwarzenegger then urged for a "grassroots movement" in local communities, since 70% of dirty emissions can be controlled at a local or state level. He then continued to discuss how the state of California is proof that the US can be both successful environmentally and economically, and that the Paris agreement poses no threat to the US economy.


"One man cannot destroy our progress. One man can't stop our clean energy revolution. And one man can't go back in time," the Terminator star stated, adding the quip: "Only I can do that."

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