Ingram Publishing/iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — One of the State Department’s science envoys has announced his resignation on Twitter, citing President Trump’s “attacks on core values of the United States.”
Dr. Daniel Kammen, a professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley, wrote in a long letter that he is resigning because of Trump’s “failure to condemn white supremacists and neo-
Nazis,” calling it “a pattern of behavior that enables sexism and racism and disregards the welfare of all Americans, the global community, and the planet.”
Kammen also argued that by pulling out of the Paris climate accord, Trump has “abdicate[d] the leadership opportunities and the job creation benefits” participating in the agreement could have
represented.
In his letter, Kammen included an acrostic, in which the first letter of each paragraph spelled out IMPEACH. It’s a move similar to the resignation letter from members of the President’s Committee
on the Arts and Humanities, who spelled out RESIST.
Mr. President, I am resigning as Science Envoy. Your response to Charlottesville enables racism, sexism, & harms our country and planet. pic.twitter.com/eWzDc5Yw6t
— Daniel M Kammen (@dan_kammen) August 23, 2017
Kammen was not the State Department’s science envoy, but one of seven scientists and engineers who have currently been working with the agency on key scientific issues. Science envoys are different
than the special envoy roles filled by full-time employees at the State Department, they work with the agency to foster cooperation with foreign governments, businesses, universities and others.
Since 2010, 18 science envoys have worked with the State Department, according to its website, and visited 41 countries.
The State Department has not yet responded to ABC News’ request for comment on Kammen’s letter.
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