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The United States Response to Global Warming. By: Ben Barriage, Michael Boateng, Kate Fruitman, Kimberly Tan, Raymond Tang. Carbon Footprint For Different Regions. Kyoto Protocol.
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The United States Response to Global Warming By: Ben Barriage, Michael Boateng, Kate Fruitman, Kimberly Tan, Raymond Tang
Kyoto Protocol • The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement created to impose limits upon the emission amount of greenhouse gases. • The ratifying of the document took place in Kyoto, Japan and received the approval of one hundred-forty nations.
Effects of Kyoto Protocol • The effects of the Kyoto Protocol vary upon region and the average annual emission of that region. • Countries with increasingly high emission levels are obliged to lower their emission levels by a substantial percent. • Originally, the U.S. ratiified the protocol in Clinton's Presidency, however it ultimately pulled out under the leadership of G.W. Bush.
Why has the U.S. pulled out of the Kyoto protocol? • As one of the world's largest carbon emitter, the United States claims reducing carbon levels would severely damage the economy. • The United States felt it was unfair for there to be a very limited reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for India and China. • The U.S. failed to see the importance of the Global Warming issue.
Effects of Green House Gases • Green house gases have detrimental effects on a global scale. • Green house gases include chlorofluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. • Three large green house gas emitting nations are China, India and the U.S. • Green house gases are endangering the Earth's biodiversity and are causing severe damage to ecosystems around the world.
EPA Regulation of GHG • The EPA is an agency appointed to protect human health and environment by creating regulations based on congressional laws. • In January of 2011, the CAA was passed. This requires the EPA to set a new standard for the prevention of air pollution. • While the CAA allowed the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases in 2011, it still faces a large amount of opposition due to lack of approval from Congress and political pressure.
The Clinton Administration • Early in his presidency, Cill Clinton stated that he would tackle the problems of gloabal warming and other environmental hazards. • Clinton signed the Kyoyo Protocol in 1997 without ratification from the Senate. • He hoped, through political relations and government spending, that CO2 emissions would be reduced by 2000. • However, many "green" and environmentally friendly organizations accused Clinton of trying to gain a profit out of his work on global warming.
Clinton Global Warming Affairs Currently - To deal with global warming, President Bill Clinton prepared the United States in its future to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and study global climate change. President Clinton proposed $6.3 billion in his 2010 Global Summit Initiative. In this event, he unites economical, technological, and political aspects around the world in order to create a "green" future.
George W. Bush • Throughout his campaign, G.W. Bush had made promises and agreements to take on the problem of global warming. • In 2001, Bush decided to withdraw the United States from the Kyoto Protocol due to his belief that it was too costly for the American economy. • Bush has faced a large amount of opposition due to his denial of there being a problem and his handling of the problem.
Opposition to G.W. Bush • A large amount of opposition rose after Hurricane Katrina occurred, strengthening the argument that global warming causes deadlier storms. • A large portion of the senate feel that Bush never goes far enough in his policies because he only sets a goal and doesn't say how to achieve the goal. • The senate feels that Bush is often too vague or relaxed in relation to the global warming problem.
- As of President Bush's withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, President Obama reinstates the United States as a "green" nation. - Obama introduces the EPA and spreads his thoughts of the future in his Copenhagen speech. His plan proposes that emissions be reduced to their 1990 levels by 2020 and an additional 80 percent by 2050. $15 billion per year will be invested in solar power, wind power, biofuels, regulation of greenhouse gases, and clean coal technologies. Barack Obama deals with Global Warming
Obama's Policy Revealed Although President Obama's speech and proposal seems to be beneficial, in reality it wouldn't benefit the majority of people. The main flaw in his proposal is that the support for the replacement of renewable resources would likely cost more jobs than are created.
Obama's Policy Revealed (continued) Also, the production of his proposal will be extremely pricey. In addition, Obama's policy will lead to the rise of prices in gasoline, household electricity, and energy-based utilities. But worst of all is that Obama is uninformed about global warming and did not address the scientific reasoning behind his policies.
Waxman-Markley Climate Change Bill Similar to Obama and Bush's proposals, the bill seems to outline a good plan for a green future. However its results are obvious. The bill is in a "watered-down" form, which meant its effect was diminishing. This is because of the fact that the bill was passed by the House of Representatives and not the Senate. The votes were unfair and the green plan was not carried out with full force. This shows that the bill "reflects the triumph of politics over science, and the triumph of industry influence over the public interest." It reveals that Obama and the U.S. government are not entirely serious about this "green" project.
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5) Bush's legacy on global warming. (2008, April 18). In The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2008/0418/p08s01-comv.htm 6) Sun, B. (2008, February 11). Obama pledges to attack global warming. In Free Republic. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968877/posts 7) Energy & Environment. (2010, June 15). In The White House. Retrieved June 1, 2011, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment