As the world continues to grapple with the effects of climate change, governments and organizations are taking action to address this global crisis. In an effort to keep you informed about the latest developments in climate change policy, we bring you a much-needed update on where we stand and what’s next. Join us as we delve into the progress made so far, highlight some key players in this fight, and explore what more needs to be done to secure a sustainable future for our planet. Get ready for an insightful read that will leave you feeling empowered and inspired!
Background on the Current State of Climate Change Policy
Climate change policy is currently in a state of flux. In early March, the Trump Administration released its proposed budget for the 2018 fiscal year. The budget includes massive cuts to clean energy and climate assistance programs, including killing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan.
In response to this proposal, several states have announced their intent to pursue their own climate change policies without federal support. California, for example, has announced its intention to create its own statewide carbon market and reduce emissions by 50% by 2030.
At the same time, countries around the world are working to finalize new climate change agreements ahead of COP24 in Katowice, Poland. These agreements will aim to restrict global warming below 2°C above preindustrial levels, a target that many believe is still within reach.
What Are the Major Issues Facing Climate Change Policy Right Now?
Right now, climate change policy is facing a number of major issues. The first issue is that the Trump administration is pushing for a much less aggressive approach to climate change than previous administrations. This has led to a lot of confusion about what the US’s official stance on climate change is, and it’s been hard to get any real progress made on implementing policy changes.
The second issue is that there isn’t really a consensus on what the best course of action for climate change policy is. Different countries have different priorities, and there’s no agreement on how much money should be spent on specific things like renewable energy or emissions reduction. This means that it’s been difficult to come up with any concrete plans or policies that everyone can agree on.
The third issue is that we’re not actually doing very much to address climate change right now. We’re basically just waiting for something bad to happen (like an impending hurricane), and then we’ll start spending money on mitigation measures. But this doesn’t seem like it’s going to work very well in the long term, because we need to do more than just wait for something bad to happen – we need to be planning for the future and making decisions now about how we’re going to address climate change.
What are the Options for Moving Forward?
Climate change policy is in a constant state of flux and there are a number of different options open to policymakers as they work to find solutions to the problem. In this update, we’ll discuss where we stand on climate change policy and what’s next for the United States.
What We Know About Climate Change
The Earth has been warming over the past century, with the rate of warming accelerating in recent years. The average global surface temperature has increased about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, and it is very likely that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are largely responsible for this increase. Numerous studies have found that even if emissions reductions occur slowly, we can still avoid more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming above preindustrial levels by the end of the century—above which many scientists believe dangerous effects could set in, such as widespread extinctions of plant and animal species, more intense storms and droughts, and rising seas.
What We Do Now: The Obama Administration’s Climate Change Policies
In 2009 President Obama issued an Executive Order establishing goals for reducing United States carbon dioxide emissions from federal sources by 32% below 2005 levels by 2025 and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. This was followed up in 2013 with the Clean Power Plan (CPP), which requires states to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 32% below 2005 levels by 2030 using various capping techniques like permitting limits or pollution trading programs. The CPP was
Conclusion
As we head into the final months of the Obama administration, it is clear that climate change policy will take a front seat on the agenda. With President-elect Donald Trump having stated that he intends to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement and appointed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is very important for individuals and organizations across the country to stand up and advocate for climate change policies that will keep our planet healthy. Here are three key things you can do to support climate change activism in 2017:
