4 simple answers to your tough questions about the Paris climate deal

Like, will it help with this crazy-ass weather?

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While some Americans still debate whether climate change is real, government leaders concluded the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris over the weekend with a signed treaty that promises new measures to combat the environmental damage that humans have inflicted on the planet.

But what exactly does the treaty pledge? Let's break it down:

By cutting greenhouse gas emissions, countries will stave off the planet's rising temperature.

Scientists who analyzed the treaty say that it will, at best, cut global greenhouse emissions by about half, according to the New York Times. This decrease is enough to keep the Earth's temperature from increasing 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)—a shift that would create an increase in destructive weather, as well as food and water shortages.

2. What about the forests?

3. Does it aim to help more vulnerable countries?

4. Do developed nations have a greater responsibility than developing nations?

Developing and developed nations have long agreed that something needed to be done to curb greenhouse gas emissions. But until the Paris talks, involved parties failed to sign any agreement that would hold anyone responsible for enacting specific changes.

That's largely because developing nations would have to foot part of the bill for a problem they say developed nations created. To offset those costs, the U.S. pledged $1 billion in 2009 to help developing nations implement green technologies and update their infrastructure, according to The Guardian.  

Although the treaty doesn't hold developed nations to a specific dollar amount, it does state that such countries will be responsible for financing the majority of the costs associated with implementing greener strategies. 

As opposed to past talks, the current provision stipulates "such mobilization of climate finance should represent a progression beyond previous efforts."

Still, the climate treaty marks a step forward in battling climate change. When presenting attendees with the final draft, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said, “This text, the one we have built together, our text is the best possible balance. A balance which is powerful yet delicate which will enable each delegation, each group of countries to go back home with his head held high and having achieved something important." 

Speaking from the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama concurred, “This agreement sends a powerful signal that the world is fully committed to a low-carbon future. We’ve shown that the world has both the will and the ability to take on this challenge."

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