User:Larainal/sandbox

Efforts to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change

The effects of climateover the course of the past century have made worldwide negative impacts on the globe.The individual actions of countries and cities within these countries have been making significant efforts to offset the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphereby promoting renewable energyand cleaner overall practices. As countries develop more strategies to promote clean and renewable energy and ways of living, places within the United States such as California are making reforms. In 2016, the state of California passed Senate Bill 32which strengthens the need to withhold the state from emitting excess carbon.Although President Donald Trumphas tried remove the United States from the Paris Agreement, other states such as New York have been creating greener spaces by installing more solar panels and creating 'green building' which mitigate pollution in an effort to make New York city 'cleaner'.Countries are making large efforts to fight and reduce the effects of climate change; however, in order to see improvements, more countries with large CO2 emissionssuch as China and India will need to reform and cut emissions by large percentages.

Temperature forecasts projected by the year 2020 by four different international agencies.

Projected Impact of climate change on agricultural yields by the year 2080

Pictured above is a protest in the streets of Paris against climate change.

Political Action

There are many facts that point to the existence of climate change. The plentiful hurricanes, droughts, and fires are all in part due to the ever changing atmosphere caused by climate change. One of the ways in which the human race can get in front of this change is through political action. Legislative action is one strategy that politicians are using to combat carbon emissions. A change in federal policy is one potential way to putting a halt to climate change. The way these laws will come about is via political action. Carbon emissions are a significant causing factor for climate change and by putting federal regulations such as a carbon tax there will overall be a decrease in carbon emissions. This allows the private sector to decide how to do so cost effectively which in turn benefits the environment. The private sector is one deciding factor in how governments enact their policies. In the case of climate change an action that needs to be taken is one that influences them rather than the other way around.

Political action comes in many shapes and sizes. Protesting is a form of political action that can be used as a way to persuade political figures and as they are representatives of the citizens of the countries they serve in. Political figures have a vested interest in remaining on the good side of the public. This is because in democratic countries the public are the ones electing these government officials. Thus keeping up with protests is a way they can ensure they have the public's wants in mind.Climate change is a prevalent issue in society, some believe that solutions to it can be increased by actions taken by individuals and and communities. Through conservation, policy change, and innovation the public can make a positive change to decrease the emission of fossil fuels and put a gradual end to climate change. There are many organizations that have formed in order to bring light to this large issue.

Activist Movements

The Earth Day Network is an organization on a mission to put an end to climate change. Their goal is education, expansion, and activation of an environmentally conscious movement worldwide to bring more attention to this significant issue. Over one billion people participate in Earth day activities and with an uptick in these movements the people can begin to make a difference.

Climate Disobedience

The Climate Disobedience Center is an organization dedicated to putting an end to the crisis of climate change.

International Political Frameworks

The Paris Agreement

Map of countries participating in revised Kyoto Protocol and their commitments

The Paris Agreement, which was brought to discussion on November 12th, 2016, was made with a goal in mind to unite all countries against the threat of climate change. This argument stipulates that all countries involved contribute financially and regularly report on emissions and the status of national progress. At this point, over half the countries in Convention who were responsible for over half of greenhouse emissions, had ratified.

The European Union

The commitment of the European Union to cut back on its excessive green house gas emissions came from the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Since its application, the Doha amendments, which were made to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, have come to regulate this protocol and update the Union's commitment to depleting the greenhouse gas emissions. This second round of the Kyoto Protocol creates a legally binding agreement for participating EU countries until 2020. Under this new plan, by 2030, there are hopes of the EU cutting their emissions by 40%.

Pictured above are Secretary Kerry and the UN Secretary-General at the COP21 meeting of the UNFCCC in Paris

Convergence and Contraction

In 2015, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes met in Paris to negotiate a new agreement. This meeting was the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21). In this agreement, the goal was to keep temperatures under 1.5 degrees Celsius. While this goal was seen as progress in the fight against climate change, some more liable countries saw this as unattainable. They also thought some important steps were not taken during this meeting; however, everyone seemed optimistic for the future.

Sub-national Level Action

The Columbia River Basin

Large efforts are being made across many continents and many nations such as the United States. The Columbia River, which runs through the United States and Canada, has an abundance of naturally rich soil and wildlife; thus making it a natural resource to the North American continent.The Columbia River Basinuses the flow of the current of the river to create hydropowerwhich makes it an economic resource as well. A study on the hydrologyof the river was done in order to see the effects of climate in the future and how they can be managed.

The Danish Council on Climate Change

In response to the Climate Change Act, the Danish Council on Climate Changewas formed in order to improve the quality of life through lessening the amount of carbon emitted in the atmosphere. This includes promoting cleaner future structures being built, clean renewable energy, and transportation. A group of experts is working with the council in order to ensure that accurate data is being attained and more action is being made to see improvements.

Individual Action

Energy Usage

On the global scale, the utilization of energy speaks to a wide margin of people. The biggest wellspring of greenhouse gas emissionsare from human activities. Around 66% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions are connected to consuming fossil fuels for energy to utilize for warming, power, transport and industry. In Europe, as well, the energy farms are the biggest producer of greenhouse gases, being in charge of 78% of all out EU emanations in 2015.

Description:food-healthy-vegetables-potatoes Date:10 October 2014, 06:28 Source:https://www.flickr.com/photos/137643065@N06/23958160949/

Consumers and Diet

Companies that produce beef, pork and red meat created the biggest offer of greenhouse gas emissions from family unit buy, roughly 21 percent, trailed by fresh vegetables and melons, cheese ventures, and milk items and butter. Greenhouse gas emissions created by family food spending shifted by race and instructive accomplishment. In excess of 80 percent of families creating high greenhouse gas emissions from their food spending were white. About 26 percent of family units in with the most astounding level of greenhouse gas emissions had a review respondent with an advanced education, contrasted with roughly 12 percent in the base fifth for greenhouse gas emissions. Investment in the government Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)was related to less greenhouse gas emissions from food spending. Around 24 percent of family units in the base fifth for greenhouse gas emissions took an interest in SNAP; just 9 percent of families in the top fifth for greenhouse gas emissions partook in SNAP.