Bryan Palacio / Staff Writer
opinion@fiusm.com
The world is on the brink of a new normal. Prior to the past two centuries, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere had never surpassed 280 parts per million. Current levels are at 390 ppm which is higher than ever recorded or estimated in the past 650,000 years. We have also seen new highs in the amount of methane and nitrous oxide which are also greenhouse gases. As a result, we have record-high temperatures, volatile weather and irregular climate patterns all around the world.
We’ve set a new high in the average global temperature, with 14 out of 15 of the hottest years having happened in as much time. Glaciers are melting, ice caps are decreasing and mountain tops are increasingly experiencing less precipitation. We are also experiencing rising sea levels, ocean acidification, drought and warmer ocean temperatures. Homogenization amongst species is becoming more and more frequent as animals start to overlap habitat boundaries and look for better ways to adapt.
As part of his legacy, President Barack Obama has made it a focal point to make the U.S. a leader in rectifying climate change both with science and policy. His most recent announcement was the Clean Power Plan which, in accordance with the EPA, sets more strict regulations on the emissions from power plants. Under the plan, each state will have to come up with their own strategy on how to lower their emissions while still providing their residents with the power they need.
As states work to meet their targets, power companies have set goals on energy efficiency, renewable energy and creating more green jobs. By 2030, carbon pollution from power plants will be reduced by 32 percent compared to a decade ago, keeping 870 million tons of carbon pollution out of our atmosphere.
The U.S. is the second largest consumer of energy and producer of carbon dioxide in the world, behind only China. We are the number-one consumer of petroleum and the second largest consumer of coal, the largest contributor to electricity in the world because it’s easy to find and is cheap and efficient to burn.
But coal is also one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, and when you consider the booming population of China – a country creating an average of one new coal plant a week – and India, you start to understand why it’s important for the U.S. to start playing a bigger role when it comes to renewable energy and clean technology. China and India both have much higher populations than the U.S. Per capita, but the U.S. has the highest carbon footprint in the world.
Skepticism abounds with the new plan, especially from the right. Republicans have already vowed to undo many of Obama’s orders, including this new one. Critics say that the plan will raise prices and taxes, decrease production and stifle the economy. Then again, they say that about everything Obama wants to do.
Personally, I think it’s great. The U.S. is far behind many other world leaders like France, which gets the majority of the energy from nuclear, and Germany, who leads the world in amount of solar panels. The U.S. was one of the few countries not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, a U.N. convention on climate change aimed to lower greenhouse gas emissions back in 1992, and it’s been a blemish on the country ever since. President Obama has worked hard to improve not only how the U.S. is perceived, but also how it performs.
Obama has passed initiatives on renewable energy, including his plan to help subsidize solar panels in lower-income neighborhoods, and he’s pushed on the front for natural gas which has led to a much lower demand on foreign oil (for better or worse). He vetoed the XL Pipeline which was heavily lobbied and was very adamant about climate change both last year at the U.N. Climate Change meeting in New York and again this year on Earth Day when he paid a visit to South Florida at Everglades National Park. He stressed vehemently how important the U.N. Climate Change conference to be held this year in Paris is.
Obama has also been very active in creating public lands such as national parks and monuments, using his power of executive order. Although he has been scrutinized for things such as arctic drilling, it’s no doubt that he’s as eco-friendly as any other president we’ve had. But until the U.S. as a whole starts to implement policy and be a leader in the environment, it will all be just talk.
With only one more year left on his term, it will be even more important to see what the next president does with the foundation Obama is desperately trying to leave behind.
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