Americans are digesting a global climate accord that is dividing Washington along predictable partisan political lines.
"This agreement will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet, and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investment," said a jubilant President Barack Obama shortly after the deal was announced Saturday.
"What matters is that today we can be more confident this planet is going to be in better shape for the next generation. And that is what I care about," Obama added.
Congressional Democrats flooded Twitter to hail the accord. Not so Republicans, who announced their opposition even before the deal was struck.
"President Obama has promised to cut back American energy production dramatically," said Republican Senator John Barrasso last week. "The American people oppose sending their money to a United Nations climate slush fund."
'Unattainable,' critics say
In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted the accord as "unattainable" and "based on a domestic energy plan that is likely illegal, that half the states have sued to halt, and that Congress has already voted to reject."
The accord is not a formal treaty and therefore requires no Senate ratification to go into effect. Whoever succeeds Obama in 2017 could halt or continue America's adherence to its provisions.
Republican presidential contenders say the planet can be protected without what they see as Obama's job-killing climate agenda.
"We want to have clean air, we want to have clean water. We do want to have that," said businessman and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump before decrying federal environmental regulations.
'Wrong side of history'
The administration is standing firm.
"A lot of members of Congress are on the wrong side of history," said Secretary of State John Kerry on ABC's This Week program. "And I don't believe you can be elected president of the United States if you do not understand climate change and you aren't committed to this kind of a plan."
Among Democratic presidential contenders, Hillary Clinton called the climate deal "a historic step forward in meeting one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century." In a tweet, Senator Bernie Sanders said the accord "goes nowhere near far enough."
"There is nothing of greater importance than that we leave this planet to our children and grandchildren in a way that is healthy and habitable," Sanders added at a campaign event Saturday.
The accord is sure to spark fierce debate when Congress reconvenes this week.
Vocabulary
jubilant:喜洋洋的
ratification:批准
decry:责难,谴责
[动词]短语动词
[分词]分词的语态
[形容词和副词]the + 最高级 + 比较范围
[动词不定式]动词不定式的否定式
[动词不定式]不定式作补语
[形容词和副词]和more有关的词组
[动词]助动词have的用法
[动词不定式]不定式的时态和语态
[特殊词精讲]stop doing/to do
[冠词和数词]冠词与形容词+名词结构
[形容词和副词]形容词与副词的比较级
[形容词和副词]as + 形容词或副词原级 + as
[特殊词精讲]be interested doing/to do
[动词不定式]不定式作状语
[特殊词精讲]forget doing/to do
[动词]助动词do 的用法
[形容词和副词]比较级形容词或副词 + than
[形容词和副词]多个形容词修饰名词的顺序
[动名词]短语动词
[形容词和副词]用形容词表示类别和整体
[形容词和副词]兼有两种形式的副词
[特殊词精讲]cease doing/to do
[独立主格]独立主格
[动词不定式] It's for sb.和 It's of sb
[动词不定式]不定式的特殊句型too…to…
[代词]相互代词
[动词不定式]省去to 的动词不定式
[动词不定式]不定式的特殊句型so as to
[动词的时态]用现在进行时表示将来
[特殊词精讲]try doing/to do
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