President Trump quits Paris Accord, but is it a disaster or a boost?

Only time will tell what the result will be.

President Trump is prepared to withdraw from the Paris Agreement against the advice of most of the world's scientists, leaders, and his own daughter. The move shows how independent Trump is, but it also causes alarm as the world begins to tackle climate change in earnest.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- According to most of the world's climate experts, the present, ongoing spate of global warming is chiefly caused by human activity and will result in major environmental catastrophe over the next century and beyond. As the climate warms faster than nature can adapt, mass extinction and the disruption of the food supply will occur. Ice caps and glaciers will melt, the drought will persist, and conflicts will be fought over diminishing resources as the population grows. Sea level will rise, displacing hundreds of millions of people.

The only way to avoid this fate is an immediate curtailment of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly carbon dioxide. This can be achieved, but it requires universal participation and aggressive measures.

Despite the strength of the consensus, there are skeptics who question if such a consensus is strong enough to justify the measures.

There has been talk that President Trump would back America out of the accord, so the world has worked to convince him to stay. Even Pope Francis gave President Trump a copy of his encyclical on the environment. Ivanka Trump asked her father to remain in the agreement. Several political leaders and prominent scientists have also petitioned Trump to stay in the agreement.

Despite these pleas, President Trump has announced the United States will withdraw from the agreement.

The United States remains the world's second largest contributor to global CO2, contributing nearly 15 percent of the planet's annual CO2 increase. China is the world leader in emissions, at nearly double the level of the USA.

However, rules that curtail emissions also curtail industrial output, according to detractors. It is expensive to reduce emissions. Such practices include filtering and capturing carbon before it enters the atmosphere, converting to cleaner technologies, or simply shutting down operations altogether. These are unsatisfactory options for competitive, keystone industries.

Critics of the Paris Agreement say it will destroy both jobs and economic growth. And that economic growth is essential to improve the quality of life for people around the globe.

The move also cements President Trump's reputation as a free thinker who is independent. While he sought advice from many people, he ultimately made his own decision. This is why many Americans elected him; he is an independent thinker. Most Americans are tired of party politics.

We will not agree with every decision a president makes. It could be that Trump's decision is an economic move intended to boost our nation's economy. It could also be a disaster. Time will tell. For better or worse, the world will have to curtail CO2 emissions without the United States.