America's Dependence On Carbon Based Energy

In 2004 according to a report America’s imported as much as Japan, Germany, China and India combined.

Fossil fuels are considered to be natural products that are made from the remains of organisms that were once living, and is a non-renewable resource (Yvonne, Locke, 1) that has a big impact on our earth, but now people are trying to find ways to lower the earth’s carbon footprint. The fossil fuel industry is one that has been around for a very long time and is something that contributes in our everyday living, but now fossil fuel is something that is being considered precious material, and the way that we as consumers use it will have a big impact on the shape of our future country (Fossil Fuels 1). With all of this oil being collected in Canada it has a big effect on the economic spectrum as well

In the year 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States consumed a staggering 6.89 billion barrels of oil (U.S.EIA). Which in fact, equates to 18.89 million barrels being consumed every single day. That is a vast amount of petroleum products being consumed on a daily national level. If the calculation is made, based on a barrel equaling forty two gallons, it would come out to 289,583,700,000 gallons per year, or 793,380,000 gallons per day. The amount is incredible, almost unbelievable. If the United States continues its use of oil at this rate, the supply will only last another forty years. With more and more cars being on the road and operating machinery performing tasks, the supply of petroleum will not be able to meet demand forever. As our use of fossil fuels increases, so does our need for a new source of renewable energy.

She reviews the history of environmental progress. In the 1980s there was political movements and changes in environmental activism. However, with the emergence of neoliberal capitalism, there has been an escalation in environmental destruction (increase in greenhouse gas emissions). The first part of the book, she critiques free market fundamentalism, conservative politics and climate change denial, corporate opposition to regulation, the conflict between international trade agreements and renewable energy, the global outsourcing

Of course, such an endeavor cannot be met by America’s ambitions alone, but by meeting other nations levels of commitment and by setting certain courses of action, America will lead by example and other nations will be set up for success. This will allow us to advance toward a better world as a whole. Low carbon pollution has the potential to strengthen our nation through investment and innovation in clean energy. By investing more time in industries such as wind and solar power there will not only be a cleaner environment, but a steady stream of middle class jobs. Something that has occurred over the past few years with Obamas current Clean Power Plan. Power plants are the largest source of emissions in the United States. In August 2015, the

Environmental change is a logical certainty, and progressively a lived human concern. However, it is not yet what everybody should call social-global problem in one voice. It's not an essential almost we shape our social practices, nor a sufficiently huge social standard to go about as an imperative on our conduct. Around the planet there is developing energy to characterize environmental change as a security issue and thus as a motivation topping issue that merits noteworthy consideration and assets. Calls for movement are developing - yet at the same time outlined activities to address the issue has a cost or weight that will hamper business and go about as a drag on the economy.

The environmental movement has drastically changed over the last few decades, encompassing science, political activism and our social conscience. It is one of the fastest growing political and social movements in the world. Since the mid 1970s, this international movement has engaged the global community indluding many countries, the business world, media, and non-governmental organizations, all who have pushed for increased regulations and compliance towards protecting the environment. Nations within and outside of the UN have been pressured into pursuing a more sustainable future.Our ability to adapt, as well as to compromise, will direct the result of how we will survive in the future. States will have to cooperate and understand problems other nations are facing, and be able to commit to wanting a sustainable earth. Environmental norms are changing due to the overwhelming social push to reduce global warming, causing people to bandwagon to fight for environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, the motives for this movement are not always clear. While citizens of developed countries appear to have the right justifications for saving our planet and are attempting to address, global warming resulting in climate change, this heated political issue has provided NGO’s, governments (state actors) and corporations a platform to demonstrate interest in social issues, but also an opportunity to capitalize of for their own financial or political gain.

In his book, The United States of Excess, Robet L.Paarlberg says, “Per capita carbon-dioxide emissions in the United States are roughly twice the average for the rest of the wealthy world (defined here as the 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD)” (7). Contrasting the situation with the wealthy world is enough to realize that the USA has a serious problem of carbon-dioxide emission. If we compare the emission with a poor developing nation like Nepal, the problem is much clearer or, precisely, scary. CO2 emission in metric tons per capita for the United States in 2005 was close to 20 (Brooks 27). Moreover, in 2013, the measurement for the USA was still 16.4 while that for Nepal was 0.2 (“CO2 Emissions (Metric Tons per Capita)”). The figures show that the USA emitted 82 times the carbon emitted by Nepal on a per capita basis. With all the focus towards competing industrially with other wealthy countries, consequently, the USA has not had enough attention towards the resulting problem from carbon emission. Instead, this competition has added up to the emission of more amount of carbon. The difference in technological advancements, education system, and the people’s lifestyles in the two countries is the main reason for the higher per capita carbon emission in the USA.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives Islands once said, “If we do not act now, my island nation will be submerged by the sea”. In his 2011 documentary, The Island President, President Nasheed voices his concern for the rapid impact of climate change on his country. The Maldives are beginning to face their future as sunken islands, and if nothing is done to prevent rapid sea level changes, the islands will face destruction. President Nasheed recognized this, but following a political coup d’état, on February 2, 2012, he was forced to resign and was replaced by President Abdulla Yameen. Unlike Nasheed, President Yameen lacks the sturdy political leadership that is necessary to fight climate change, and due to this, the Maldivian economy, society, and ecosystem will collapse.

These days one of the most important of debates is related to the climate change. It has been realized that the climate change has been there since years and there is a need that changes are made for the better rather only discussing the changes taking place in the environment. A number of changes that can combat against the much debated climate change have been proposed but one of the main facts on which many would agree is that there is a need to make policies that can effectively help in combating and reversing climate changes (Kessel 2000). The debate of climate change highlights the main reasons, causes, as well as the consequences of the climate change. These reasons can then be used to design policies that can help in the reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions that play one of the most important roles in increased climate change. Associated factors along with greenhouse gas emissions include population growth, energy usage and economic growth. One of the main facts that need to be highlighted here is that greater human influence can be found related to the negative changes seen in the climate. However, one main question that is asked by the climatologists is the measure of the human influence on the climate. In these cases, it is important to analyze the percentage of human influence that has taken important part in the climate change.

Climate change has emerged as one of the most substantial issues facing the international community. In the past two decades numerous multilateral negotiations have taken place within the United Nations to determine which countries should take the most responsibility for climate change mitigation. Developed countries from the Global North assert that all countries should bear the same responsibility to reduce emissions and combat climate change. In contrast, the Global South expresses that mitigation should take an equitable approach, distributing responsibility based on factors such as standard of living, and previous emissions. The development of the Global North relied upon the exploitation of the environment to achieve its current standard of living, creating the problem of climate change over decades of greenhouse gas emissions. An examination of historical carbon emissions, climate justice, and transnational corporations in the Global South will prove that imposing climate change mitigation on the Global South is unjust, and poses a threat to the standard of living in developing countries.

In the twenty-first century, climate change has proved to be a major disaster affecting every country across the world. The adverse effects of the climatic change will continue to influence the next generation if adequate measures are not implemented (George 86). Climate change is a controversial topic. Scientific evidence shows clearly that future generation is at risk though the government and the public responses to this threat are moderately weak. Several corporations admit that climate change is happening yet are waiting for indications from governments to strategies long-term investments procedures to address the risk (Fung, Ana and Mark 43). In the meantime influential forces, mainly the polluting factories as well as fossil energy sector, have bestowed benefits in sustaining their businesses without caring if they are polluting the environment or not. In the developed nations the rate of environmental pollution is very high due to a high number of industries that emits harmful substances in the environment. Several people in industrialized countries wish that climatic change was not real for them not to incur extra cost to mitigate its effects (Ruth, Matthias and María 26). In less developed nations most individuals think that no one can alter the climate because it is under control by divine power. Increasing human activities in areas like transport, industry, energy explorations as well as deforestation all have caused the greenhouse

Without change the world as we know it cannot sustain itself. We will use up all our natural resources and eventually the air will not be breathable. Government regulations on greenhouse gases and pollution along with increased clean energy efforts is the only way our society will survive. Global corporations have slowed the passing of stricter regulations with their influence on elected officials. For every dollar the fossil fuel industry spends on campaign contributions it gets back $119 in subsidies. Money and Power are the two common denominators that fuels these mega corporations. This is a global problem and will take all governments participation and commitment to resolve. We the people must demand change and reform.

World leaders comprising of prime ministers and presidents of the globe’s most powerful nations shared the spotlight of an international Climate summit with billionaire Bill Gates. Set in the capital city of France, the summit has the potential to unite politicians from across the world, on topics of fossil fuels and nuclear power, in hopes of remedying the impending global climate crisis. An essential issue is that the only assemblage of citizens in Paris attempting to disrupt the energy sector’s business plans, are an informal club of 28 private investors who have formed a taskforce called the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, led by none other than Microsoft-founder and entrepreneur Bill Gates. This coalition which has the backing of billions of dollars of committed research and development funding, have agreed that energy and research development is a worthy beneficiary of their various stock profits.

Global warming has become a massive problem throughout the world, and as the population grows so do the effects of climate change. What people do not know is that it is the leading cause of the earth’s end and might be a minor cause of death in the far future. Global warming is one of the many things that humans have caused that has no easy fix. Professors Charles Kennel, V. Ramanathan, and David G. Victor at the University of California – San Diego say that “Greenhouse gas concentrations are trending far off the path needed to avoid dangerous interference…nations are making little progress…to cut their emissions” (398). The problem started back in 1800-1870 when the first coalition revolutions started; the use of coal, railroads, and other productions increased greenhouse gas emissions. This may have been the first cause of climate change and from here on it led to the effects. Now, it has become so damaging that it needs to be solved. Solutions need to occur because it causes a threat on the human race and is getting worse each year. The two solutions that will have the finest possible outcomes are putting a tax on carbon and using energy efficient products.