What does it say to the world when we (seemingly) downgrade our action on climate change?

It says that we’re under stress as a country, and things are happening that we can’t control; uncertainty is piping its way through our veins.

And in these conditions – when our backs are against the wall – we can only concentrate on the here and now; the things our immediate peers will judge us for.

It says these were hollow promises in the first place.

It says we only have manners when our parents are watching us.

It says we would rather wage war on anything/anyone than stand up for the planet. We pick a fight on the smallest kid in the playground and ignore the playground bully because he’s bigger and tougher than us and there’s a good chance we might lose.

And we do this because we know there’s no big cigar to smoke at the denouement part of the script like there is in the film Independence Day.

Here’s what The Guardian had to say about the decision.