Environmental Issues and U.S. Manufacturing - Assignment Example

Environmental Issues and U.S. Manufacturing Environmental issues are of considerable concern both to the current and future generation. The problems caused to the environment by the current generation will have a negative impact on the future generation. Therefore, it is crucial to protect the environment from the dangers caused by man. Most nations have a set of rules, which help in guarding the environment. The United States has rules guarding the environment against dangers caused by man. The human actions to the environment may cause issues such as climate change, leading to global warming, which may cause dangers of life existence. This assignment will discuss environmental issues in the United States and manufacturing industries. Environmental issues and U.S. manufacturing Preservation of the environment promotes biodiversity, which helps in preservation of species and habitats; for sustainability of the species. Manufacturing industries pose pollution dangers, which put biodiversity at a risk. The carbon emissions from such industries may cause climate change while industrial spills to seas and oceans can cause loss of life to marine species (Long 39). United States ranks as the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide, China being the leading emitter. The carbon dioxide emitted comes from industries due to burning of fossil fuels. The extent of the carbon dioxide produced from the industries has raised global debates regarding the energy policy of U.S. Although the quantity of carbon gas emitted in the U.S. is significant; the United States refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Most countries have insisted that the United States should take a leading role in controlling global warming. Approximately 86% of the types of energy used in U.S. are from fossil fuel. This makes manufacturing industries to use the fossil fuel energy, which is associated with greenhouse gas emissions (Long 46). These emissions are responsible for climate change. As a result of the extent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, from the industries, the United States has come up with energy policy, which addresses the issue of gas mileage principles. The EPA has come up with rules and conventions, which guide prevention of pollution from the manufacturing industries. The EPA has come up with the smog rule, which require cities to lower their ozone emissions (Houghton 64). These emissions come from the manufacturing industries. Hence, under this proposed rule, the manufacturing industries have to abide to rule by reducing the amount of gas emissions. The industries that will be affected by these regulations are the energy manufacturing industries. Gases emitted to the environment can bring issues of climate change. Global warming is one of the problems associated with climate change. Global warming is real and has been experienced in the globe (Houghton 65). Evidence to show that global warming is real has been gathered, and records show that, in 2009, there was a significant loss of ice from glaciers in the entire world, which indicated the 19th consecutive year of glacier loss. Another indication to prove evidence of global warming is the change in Arctic sea ice (Long 46). The sea ice has shrunk by approximately 35% since 1979. In addition, ocean heat content has risen since more than 90% of the heat from global warming goes into the oceans, which have contributed to the rise in sea level at an accelerating rate (Houghton 78). Hence global warming is there and is real. Because of the rising cases of climate change, which results from emission of greenhouse gases from the manufacturing industries, the amount of gases emitted from the industries should be regulated and controlled (Mooney 53). Since the issue of global warming is real, the manufacturing industries should be concerned and be ready to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. This will assist in mitigating the issue and effects of global warming. With the signing, of the Kyoto Protocol, many industries from different nations reduce the amount of gases emitted as the Kyoto policy guides them. The Kyoto policy provides that, an industry should purchase carbon credits worth the amount of gas emitted. This makes the industries control the amount of gas emitted since the more gas an industry emits, the more it pays for emission. The American industries emit more greenhouse gases than other developed western nations. This is due to the immense use of energy by the industries. America is ranked first in energy use, in the entire world. Although these industries emit a lot of gases, the EPA plays an essential role in regulating the emissions to the environment. In addition, the RCRA signing and amendments have played an essential role in protecting the environment (Mooney 23). Hence, the industries in America are better than other western nations, in terms of protecting the environment. Industries in the developing world also emit gases to the environment, but the extent to which the industries emit gases is limited. There are laws governing the protection of the environment in the developing world, which makes the emission from the industries even exceedingly minimal. Hence, comparing the environmental impact of the American industries with the developing world industries, the American industries have a higher environmental impact than the developing world industries (Long 67). This makes the American industries to rank inadequate as compared to developing world industries. Regulations governing pollution and ecologically sound practices should be enforced in all nations. Since these regulations are from different nations, there would be no nation seeming to dictate the regulations. Enforcing of these regulations in all nations will help in promoting environmental friendly human actions (Ortolano 44). This will also help in fighting the case of climate change. Habitats and species would be preserved as a result of enforcing these regulations in all nations. The poor developing nations should also abide in the same rules if they were involved in the making of the rules. However, if the poor developing nations never played a role when formulating the rules, then they must not stand by the same regulations. The poor developing nations should come up with their own set of rules in case they do not abide by the rules. As a superpower, the United States should not assume a leadership role in the establishment of environmental regulations for all nations. Although issues of environment do not occur in the borders of one country, United States assuming a leadership role in establishing environmental regulations would raise opposition from different nations, which would seem dictatorial. All nations are guided by both international and customary laws in issues of environment. The international legal framework on environmental issues applies to every nation, without the dictation of a single nation in following the rules (Ortolano 56). Every nation sets environment regulations, which should govern environmental issues in the nation. Therefore, United States should not assume a leadership role in establishing environment regulations since the international system has well established environmental regulations, which apply to all the nations. Conclusion It is essential to protect the environment so as to promote biodiversity in the entire globe. Owing to the vitality of the environment in supporting life forms, there are international and customary laws providing regulations to the environmental issues. The international legal framework on environmental issues applies to every nation without the dictation of a single nation in following the rules. Every nation sets environment regulations, which should govern environment issues in the nation. Industries in the United States emit more greenhouse gases than the industries in the developing world nations. This is due to the intensive use of fossil fuel. These greenhouse gases have an effect of causing climate change leading to global warming. The issue of global warming is valid and can be confirmed through the existence of rising ocean heat, which causes rising of tides at an accelerated rate. It is also evidenced in the shrinkage of Arctic sea ice. Works Cited Houghton, John. Global Warming: the complete briefing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. Long, Bill. International Environmental Issues and the OECD. New York: OECD Publishing, 2000. Print. Mooney, Linda. Understanding Social Issues. New York: Cengage Publishing, 2011. Print. Ortolano, Leonard. Environmental Regulation and Impact Assessment. New York: Wiley & Sons, 1997. Print. Read More