Global Climate Change Policy Making and Administration - Coursework Example

Global Climate Change policy making and administration Introduction Climate is derived from weather, and weather is the day to changes in the conditions felt in the environment such as temperature, wind, rainfall, humidity and the like. Climate on the other hand is the pattern that a given place manifests over an extended period of time that span across years which can be used to predict the weather conditions of a particular place at given times of the year. Given that, climatic conditions are directly felt in the environment, and climatic conditions are a very major factor that the society strives to maintain a standard pattern such that it remains predictable and within the control of humankind. Moreover, Climate change is a direct term used to refer to the shift in the statistical distribution of weather patterns that take a good number of days. These could be a decade to million years. Climate change also describes a change that occurs in average weather conditions or time of variation of weather around longer-term average conditions (Bloom & Arnold, 113). The most common causes of climate change are linked to, biotic processes, human activities in global warming, changes in the solar radiation that is reflected from the earth surface, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. These are further divided into, forcing mechanisms that are either internal or external. The inner ones are natural processes that occur within the climate system whereas, external are either natural that is, changes in solar output or anthropogenic where an increased emission of greenhouse gasses. Discussion Most world countries worked together through organizations to help put an end to climate change. It is through these that they established some policies aimed at bringing substantial impacts on the rate of climate change. Many solutions like significant energy efficiencies, carbon taxes, renewable energy technologies and new fuel economy standards. This article shall address some of the global climate change policies and administration that help in maintaining the environment clean and safe. The Kyoto protocol was an international treaty that described the international framework conventions concerning climate change. The agreement was binding the state parties largely to reduce the emission of green house gases to significant levels. The protocol is anchored on the principles of common but put more of the responsibilities to the developed countries to reduce the emissions. The protocol described the safe levels of carbon dioxide each country was to emit. Moreover, it was obligating all the major pollutants like china India and the US to legally commit to the reduction of carbon dioxide. In an effort to ensure that climate change is effectively curbed, the US government has over the years debated and enacted a number of regulations, which seek to lower the level of risk that the world is faced with in terms of climate change. A significant factor that lead to climate change is carbon emissions. It involves the release into the environment harmful carbon based gasses that result from the burning of fuels that contain carbon. Carbon-based fuels are the most abundantly used in the world. These include petroleum, charcoal, firewood, natural gas, kerosene among others. These fuels upon burning release into the environment carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The gases mix with vapor in the air to form carbonic acid and fall as acid rain. This is very corrosive and is responsible for the destruction of property on earth. Coupled with that, the carbon-based gases are responsible for the ozone layer depletion. This is the layer that is above the earth, which protects it from the harmful rays of the sun. This layer being depleted exposes the earth exposed to the harmful rays of the sun. The result of that is that there is global warming on earth. The 75% of the earth’s surface that is covered with water is heated up, and this causes tremendous global climatic changes (Karl and Trenberth, 1721). Considering the millions of cars that are driven everyday using petroleum as the source of energy, coupled with the countless open fires that use carbon based fuels, the rate at which global climatic change is taking place is tremendously alarming. It is in this regard that for the past seven years, the congress of the United States has been actively debating concerning the manner in which policies can be established that would be efficient in the lowering carbon emissions. Congress has also been considering mechanisms through which it would be able to have a more global approach of the problem. Such that it gets to involve stakeholders from other nations in order that the global climatic change is curbed effectively. The incumbent president of the US has now placed his endorsement on a program that is aimed at cutting down the emissions of carbon into the environment by a whopping 80% below what was the case in 1990 by the year 1950. This long-term program is poised to create a revolution to the faction of environmental pollution. This has the look of the attribute that is intended for the global environmental outlay. It is a radical plan that is in line with the future of the globe. It is one world that has been used in the generations in the past. Through their conservation skills, they have managed to keep the world in good shape such that we have been able to find it life supportive (Harris et al. 175). In the same spirit, everyone is tasked with the duty of preserving the environment and avoiding global climatic changes for the sake of the future generation. Moreover, the administration ran under Obama also proposed the need to invest significant number of dollars in green energy. By these, they meant that there was a need to promote the rise and upbringing of bio-fuels, fuel infrastructures and promotion of commercialized scale renewable energy. All these get a reflection in the act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment, also called a stimulus package. It is in this respect that companies such as Tesla Motors got a loan from the government (Alston, Margaret & Kerri 45). Tesla Motors is a US motor vehicle manufacturing company that manufactures electricity driven vehicle. This is meant to instigate a revolution in the world and finally to end the crisis that the world has been facing about over-dependence on petrol as the primary source of energy. In this respect, the company has come up with an ingenious way through which electric energy is saved in batteries that are rechargeable upon being discharged. Therefore, this is used to drive the vehicle just in the same fashion that it would be driven by a petrol engine only that this time round there is no carbon emission. To reverberate mass production, the company has collaborated with Panasonic, which specializes in the manufacture of the batteries that energize the vehicle. The company has also established charging booths at strategic points along the roads in the US and some areas in Europe. These are intended to replace the conventional gas stations that fill vehicle with petroleum. It is a framework that needs support and upon hitting its intended goals, it shall be effective in replacing the billions of vehicle that pollute the environment with carbon emissions every single day. The idea of setting up policies did not end there. Instead, the policies had to be put in practice. Nevertheless, the big question everyone found asking themselves was how efficiencies in energy to be implemented were. Sources from McKinsey Global Institute stated that, with implementation, is when people in the world would get the real picture of cutting waste by half in the year 2020. The source continues by giving an example where, consumers should need education about ways to minimize the overuse of power especially lights during the day. Places like offices, people, should take it a habit or policy always to switch off lights at night while, in their homes, the development of more efficient household appliances and lighting is put in effect. In turn, these will help reduce carbon emissions and save money (Dessler, Andrew & Parson 200). Another critical policy that the US has enacted is the Clean Air Act. This has been used effectively by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has used the powers granted to it by the act to spearhead a program that try to limit carbon emissions by 83% from the year 2005 to the year 2050. This strategy was taken up as a legal framework to get the blueprint aimed at 2050 rolling given that the American Clean Energy and Security Act remained stalled following disagreements in the senate even after it had been passed in other quotas of the protocol. Among the primary methods, implemented is the carbon cap and trade system. These works in the form of a policy where, financial incentives are used to encourage companies reduce the emission rates of carbon dioxide. The rule works best where; the body has set the overall limits of radiation. These means if an enterprise wants to emit more than the set individual cap, and then it must purchase a permit. The grant comes from that business that release less carbon than its set target. With time, the pollution caps are ratcheted down. These make it more costly and in turn, they gain by attaining the greenhouse gas emission. According to wall street journal, it works in a way that, pollution gets a precise definition. In addition, companies work to take it on their responsibilities in making decisions on how to reduce their emissions in cheap ways (Dessler, Andrew & Parson, 302). Carbon tax is another strategy used. These mean that, every company that releases carbon or other types of greenhouse gasses, they are to pay money for that. The idea helps reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by taxing it expensively in a way that when a company is in the wrong, it feels the pinch of polluting the environment because of the massive debt. These are best applicable on those who produce oil or refiners. In addition, consumers who buy gasoline for their cars fall under these charges. Standards for renewable energy require the producers to generate a certain amount of power from the carbonless technology. An example of these is the wind and solar energies. This type of project has not spread well to other nations because of the shortages of equipment like the windmills and solar that is very expensive. Another obstacle has come from the shortages of power lines. These are the most efficient method used since it requires energy from nature. An example of these is the wind, water, and sun and once set, no much cost in the form of taxes incurred. Standards in the section of fuel economy began operations since 1973 when the Arab Oil Embargo aimed at reducing fuel consumption. They did these by raising the economy of fuel in cars and light trucks sold in the United States. All carmakers were required to sell cars with certain standards of using high fuel. Without these, they were subjects to penalties. The level are high, to restrict the misuse of fuel in carbon wastage. It reached a time when fuel economic standards were ranging in 27.5mpg for cars and 22mpgs in truck, but Obama the president of United States raised their levels to 35mpgs. These brought a 40 percent improvement in this sector. In support of these, most companies opted for plan B where, they strived to come up with hybrid vehicles or the electric types like Chevrolet Volt. They believed that these would offer a significant improvement in the economy. These saw the sale of over one million hybrids in the United States, with china taking the lead in the rates of fuel economy standards. It is apparent that the world has taken notice of the fact that there is global climate change. This very risky affair is poised to bring the world down to its knees. There is a huge need to ensure that the world is preserved for the sake of the future generation. The US has been leading at the war against global change. It has instigated policies that are poised to bring down the level of carbon emissions, which is the core faction in global climate change. It is projected that by 2050, the level of emissions shall have been cut by over 80% of what was the case in 2005. Conclusion For policies to be implemented and work efficiently, a country should look at what it can afford. These calls for careful evaluation before setting up bills that may make the country or nation run bankrupt. To these, the roles are left for the government, businesses, and conservation groups. They will work to ensure the mitigation measures are not left out in any instance. Moreover, the entire nations in the world should join hands in ensuring that the environment remains safe. The Kyoto protocol held several regulations that most of the developed countries should adhere to since they are leading in carbon emission. Climate change is a thing or process that began a long time, and is still underway. Therefore, it may take time before policies come up and work efficiently. An example of these is the cap and trade system. The task of reducing emission seem daunting, but many nations have pulled up together to achieve rapid energy transformations. Technology keeps on changing where new things evolve each year. Just like any other form of change, climate policies and measures set must help the world transform and preserve the environment from cases of pollution. Work cited Alston, Margaret, and Kerri Whittenbury. Research, Action and Policy: Addressing the Gendered Impacts of Climate Change. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013. Internet resource. Bloom, Arnold J. Global Climate Change: Convergence of Disciplines. Sunderland, Mass: Sinauer Associates, 2010. Print. Dessler, Andrew E, and Edward A. Parson. The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2009. Print. Dessler, Andrew E, and Edward Parson. The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change: A Guide to the Debate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Internet resource. Harris, James A. et al. “Ecological Restoration and Global Climate Change.” Restoration Ecology 2006 : 170–176. Karl, Thomas R, and Kevin E Trenberth. “Modern Global Climate Change.” Science (New York, N.Y.) 302 (2003): 1719–1723. McCaffrey, Paul. Global Climate Change. Bronx, NY: H.W. Wilson Co, 2006. Print. Read More