Climate change is an urgent problem that requires international cooperation and commitment to solve. Throughout history various treaties have been agreed upon amongst countries, the Paris Agreement being the most recent one. In my essay, I will analyze the actions taken by Canada as one of the major greenhouse gas emissions after the Paris Agreement was adopted. The government of Canada is taking both a domestic and an international approach towards achieving its target of reducing its total greenhouse gas emissions by 17% before 2020, relative to its 2005 emission levels (Climate Change, 2017). The new government, a liberal party led by Justin Trudeau, has agreed and is looking forward to working with international partners towards leading the world in the direction of a low-carbon and climate resilient economy. In addition to that, Canada is willing to provide developing countries with the necessary funds of $2.65 billion to ensure an environmentally safe transition towards sustained emissions reductions, and further projects for the poorest and most vulnerable countries (Climate Leadership Plan, n.d.). Canada’s plan of action consists of making significant investments of $300 million to the Mission Innovation initiative for green infrastructure and clean technologies development (Baird, Pummer and Bodin, 2015: 747 - 758). In addition to that, Canada is determined to put the Paris Agreement into action through collaborative approach, working its way up from provinces to
Investments on green infrastructure and clean technologies will be done. With this planned, a subsidies of $2 billion Low Carbon Economy Trust to fund projects that reduce carbon, implement the G20 commitment and phase out the large gifts for the fossil fuel industry. While working with the provinces and territories, they plan to develop a Canadian Energy Strategy to protect Canada’s energy security, encourage energy conservation, and bring cleaner renewable energy into the electricity grid. Over the five years, Justin Trudeau plan to give $2.65 billion to help poor countries fight climate change. The global leaders are planning a financial-plan at the Paris conference that will determine how much will be spent. To combat climate change, G20 countries are estimating that $453 billion subsidizing their fossil fuel industries. It is estimated that the amount of money to be spent on climate change will increase
During the past several hundred years, civilization has made rapid progress in industries like air travel, automobiles, and energy production. These developments were made without consideration of the long-term effects that their emissions may have on the planet. Changing weather patterns are now wreaking havoc around the world, and scientists attribute this to human-caused climate change. During President Obama’s State of the Union address in 2015, he stated that, “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change,” (“Remarks by the President”). Warming temperatures caused by anthropogenic climate change have disastrous consequences that pose a threat to humanity and the environment.
Global warming is defined as the recent increase in the world 's temperature that is believed to be caused by the increase of certain gases (such as carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. There are many different theories on whether global warming is similar or not to climate change. Simplistically, climate change is different because climate change is defined as a change in global or regional climate patterns or, in particular, a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels, having been measured over long periods of time, due to the changes in Earth’s orbit and organic carbon which reflect sunlight. Global warming and climate change are not to be confused because global warming is caused mainly by anthropogenic factors like the emission of carbon dioxide gas and use of fossil fuels whereas climate change is completely natural, however, according to Milan Radovanovic, “it is clear that the anthropogenic factors dominate the increasing temperature and the natural ones have the maximum influence…” (Radovanovic). Therefore, “the contribution to global warming from natural forcings and from natural internal variability is in the range between -0.2 to 0.2 [degrees] celsius over the period 1951-2010…” (Radovanovic). Natural factors have had the most effect on global temperature in the past 59 years totaling a 0.4 degrees celsius increase in
Look around. Every day, everyone will witness some sort of carbonic emission in some form dispersing into the atmosphere. You hear enough about it on the news, whether you care or not. However, the question lingers: is it even that big of a deal? Most likely, if you are a Republican, you will say that Democrats are blowing the whole climate change situation out of the water, or that the warming of our earth is completely natural. Notice how they switched it from global warming to climate change; that is because their previous assumptions and models have not been completely accurate, right? On the other hand, if you are a Democrat, you are most likely seething over the statements you just read and want to do anything you can to prevent this possible catastrophic disaster. 97% percent of climate scientists agree that Climate Change is here and now, caused by all of us… right? Democrats are also more likely to target and blame carbon emissions on the rising temperatures. Nevertheless, William McDonough, a famous urban planner, says that targeting carbon is a purely political move. Further, carbon should be a useful resource for humans, and an imbalanced carbon cycle is to blame. In fact, McDonough claims this imbalance is the result of poor and inadequate urban designing. Are any climate change believers right? Or are Donald Trump and friends correct in pointing the finger at the problem and saying, “wrong!” First and foremost, let us explore the partisan views on the issue.
Despite its well-known Economic Action Plan and its continued emphasis on the need for more jobs and growth, it is still quite disturbing that the Canadian government gave a cold shoulder to environmental concerns in its 2014 budget. However, what has become clear in the last few years is that Canada is not committed to fighting climate change. In truth, it is not Canada that is uncommitted to the climate change cause. It is its Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, who is blocking all efforts to put Canada at the forefront of climate change efforts . And Canada should be leading climate change initiatives because it is one of the largest emitters in the world, and it is also a rich
The following paper will provide an overview of Canada’s current climate change policy, under the Trudeau administration. Then, an overview of the climate change policy for the Trump administration will be introduced. Finally, Canada’s options in the face of these circumstances will be introduced, along with the decision that should be made for Canada’s future policy on climate change.
In recent years, Canada’s lack of climate action at the federal level has damaged our international reputation. With the UN climate talks in Paris, Canada has an opportunity to step up and take meaningful climate action and be viewed as a climate leader on the
Climate change is one of the most important challenges of humankind in this century. The ability to adapt, mitigate and reduce carbon emissions will be decisive to preserve the world for future generations. The last IPCC report has provided more evidence regarding the rise in temperature and sea level. Apparently, additional 2°C above the pre-industrial average temperature levels is unavoidable, and it will continue at that level due the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere (Solomon 2009). Climate change will affect people all around the world in different ways, though the capacity to cope with it is different among regions and countries. The Latin America region is notably susceptible to climate change, due its geographical position, population location and its economy relying in natural resources (Vergara et. al. 2013a). The withdrawal of the coral biome, glaciers melting, jungles & forest savannization and strongest climate events are only some of the threats that will affect their inhabitants.
When you hear the words “climate change” what comes to mind? Probably weather and the changes. Many of us watch the news or use an app on our cellphones/electronic devices to keep an eye on the weather for the day, week, or even the month. But, there is actually a difference between weather and climate. Weather is actually “the changes we see and feel outside from day to day. It might rain one day and be sunny the next. Weather also changes from place to place” (Dunbar, 2014). Whereas “climate is the usual weather of a place. Climate can be different for different seasons. Different places can have different climates” (Dunbar, 2014). This paper will focus on the ins and outs of climate change, specifically focusing on what climate change
The concept of climate change has been around for quite a while. The earliest mention of climate change dates back to the 19th century. Swedish scientist, Svante Archenius was the first scientist to study the effect of CO2 on climate. (Rodhe et al 1997)
Global warming will lead to uncontrollable devastation such as famine, war, and economic instability. Climate change will accelerate the dislocation of hundreds of millions of people and the extinction of many species. The negative effects of climate change are obvious on every continent. Professor Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia said, "The human influence on climate change is clear. The atmosphere and oceans are warming, the snow cover is shrinking, the Arctic sea ice is melting, sea levels are rising, the oceans are acidifying, some extreme weather events are on the rise, ecosystems and natural habitats will be upset. Climate change threatens food security and world economies” (The Independent). This drastic warning by Professor Le Quere shows no one is immune to global warming. Change in climate will endanger world fragility and the global food supply. The effect of global warming will lead to war and famine, which are so far advanced that they threaten the existence of life on our planet.
A meeting discussing global warming and the ongoing climate change (and the impact CO2 emissions have on the growing problem) has been in session in Peru for the past few days. Dozens of world leaders are gathering to discuss possible changes that can be implemented to halt the increase in temperature seen around the globe. However, many prominent scientists have stated that it may be too late for these world leaders to make any significant impacts (Associated). These scientists, and many other people around the world, believe that humans have contributed significantly to global warming, and as a result mankind needs to do whatever it can to combat this ongoing crisis. Nearly 3,500 miles away from Peru, United States Senator James Inhofe is in Washington D.C., representing Oklahoma in the United States Senate. Senator Inhofe is one of the loudest preachers of the belief that global warming is not the dire threat that so many scientists make it out to be. Inhofe has claimed that it is “arrogant for people to believe human beings are able to change what He (God) is doing in the climate” (Tashman). The Senator believes that only God controls the climate and the environment, and to even think that humans are impacting the earth’s climate is misguided (Tashman). These two opposing viewpoints bring with them questions of religion, politics, human responsibility, and ultimately the fate of the planet. On one side, there are those who say that the science is so concrete, and the
The terms climate change and global warming have caused much confusion. Climate change is the change in global or regional climate patterns. Global warming is the idea that the world is being heated by a few degrees every year brought on by an increase in carbon dioxide levels from the growing use of fossil fuels. Together these two issues have begun to change the habitats as humanity knows them and could devastate the world if allowed to continue. Many studies support the idea of the changing climate, and people now realize the significance of the issue. The US Government and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as many governmental agencies around the world, have released many bulletins on changes that are currently taking place. Each has projected that it will only continue to escalate to the point that humankind will have a minuscule chance of survival. Many people resist the idea that people are causing the shut-down of the climates. Climate change is now a much-debated topic in political circuits. Scientific studies have again and again concluded the climate change is a measurable reality. Opponents continue to profess the cold snaps, ironically predicted by the generally accepted models, are proof that climate change does not exist. Many still resist idea that the venting of chemicals common in spray can propellants and refrigeration is breaking down the ozone layer that protects us from radiation in the atmosphere. Some scientists refuse to accept that
In the last twenty years, the issues surrounding global climate change have become increasingly dominant in the international community, as the implications associated with the global issue pose many threats to the environment and humanity as a whole. Beginning in the 1970’s, scientific research regarding pollution led scientists to discover that chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) where destroying the ozone layer, posing threats to plant and animal life, and humans as a rise in skin cancer followed. Luckily, the world community came together to make the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which established a common goal of reducing and eventually eliminating the use of CFC’s, leading to the restoration of the ozone layer. Unfortunately, the world community has yet to fully collaborate on a universal approach to global warming. Since discovering that the burning of fossil fuels increases levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere and ultimately causes a rise in the earth’s temperature, successful collaboration between states has been limited. The global climate change regime has had many diplomatic problems due to the varying levels of resources within each state, different opinions regarding the weight of the issue, along with other cultural factors that make cooperation hard to achieve. The three main perspectives of international relations, realist, liberal, and identity, offer contrasting approaches to preventing the progression of global warming and other pressing climate
In 1879, citizens were in shock in Menlo Park as Thomas Edison publicly demonstrated his new invention, the incandescent light bulb, the first time. This device was incredibly impactful and would eventually lead to electricity being within the houses of millions of people across the globe. Industries began to mass excavate large amounts of coal in order to produce electricity to light the homes of these people. However, big business wasn’t aware or concerned about possible environmental damage that was occurring. Power plants sprung up across America which would produce waste in the forms of different types of pollution that would have quite an impact on the surroundings. As a result, individuals started to become aware of the effects of