807819

We live in a world dominated and to a certain extent defined by global climate phenomena whose consequences are essential to politics, science, economics, and diplomacy in the modern area. Although the past thirty years saw numerous attempts to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, both scientists and the public agree that these measures were largely unsuccesful at curtailing either consumption or pollution in industrial societies. If they wish to avoid the mistakes of their predecessors, those who formulate policy which may affect global warming need to contemplate both current measures and the potential advancements when making their decisions. To be more succcesful at reducing global emissions, these leaders should consider the need for climate research and the efficacy of working with national, rather than local officials.

Policymakers who wish to address the issues of climate change in the most expedient way possible must understand both the necessity and the potential of scientific inquiry. Even though ocean temperatures only rose by around .5 degrees from 1970-2004, a smaller change than the one that took place from 1880-1910, the timing of spring actually "rushed... forward by nearly 10 days worldwide" during the same period (Source B, F). Given that such large seasonal alterations never occured in the early 19th century, it appears that changes in global temperature are far more damaging now than they were one hundred years ago. While spring's new pace will only affect animals whose "adaptation can't keep up," there is no reason to believe that humans are immune from devastating natural developments, especially if, as with the season's discovery, they fail to detect them for multiple decades (Source F). With the Earth's increasing vulnerability, its is important that environmental legislators regonize the need for further study on how global warming impacts both humans and other animals. Yet they should not forget however that preventing climate changes is just as important as mitigitaing its effects. Although many nations fear they must choose to either encourage third world growth or neglect it, to avoid a "massive explosion in the production of carbon," economic trends suggest that a number of underedeveloped states will advance regardless of what their superiors decide (Source E). During the technological boom of the 1990's, countries such as Pakistan, Yugoslavia, and Bahrain, then privy to Third World status, took advantage of more accesible technology, resources, and capital to reestablish themselves as developed or developing nations. Today there are even more opportunities for these areas, which means that the incidence of pollution, if not industrialization, is far more likely in the near future. Despite their environmental risk however, expanding nations remain exempt from the restrictions in the Kyoto treaty due to fear that such measures might negatively impact economic growth (Source E). If confronting an advancing Third World is too controversial an endeavour, political officials need to invest heavily in alternative energy projects. In addition to their obvious benefit for countries around the globe, these resources are perhaps the only viable way to reduce the impact of any future industrialization. Those who design environmental policy must be able to percieve the essential advantages of creative and investigative scientific research.

Similarily, leaders who aim to combat global warming multilaterally through coalitions and agreements should contemplate whether they can be succesful by working only with national figures rather than those at the state and local level. Although the US's federal government rejected the Kyoto Protocol as a "direct threat to the US economy," nearly 160 of its mayors pledged to follow it, while states such as New York, California, and Texas set their own "requirements or goals for renewable energy" (Source E, Source C). Even though their regions contain many of the nation's largest oil and lumber companies, and some of the most densely populated urban areas, these local officials are still willing to risk imposing emission reduction standards. Unlike national figures, their decisions are incpable of severly harming of discouraging either multi-state or multi-national buisnesses, who supply most of America's buisness tax revenue. When attempting to negotiate with other nations, leaders who intend to build coalitions need to consider that they are more likely to find alies for serious environmental policies at the state rather than the federal level. Although it would be impossible to form argeements with local figures, they are still useful allies that leaders should consider consulting with when trying to convince countries to reduce their emissions. They do however possess another important resource. Although the world's surface temperature has continued to rise for all of the past twenty years, nearly 67% of Republicans remain publicly skeptical that there is any evidence to prove global warming (Source B). When these inaccurate notions become popular, national figures find it more difficult to accept global agreements for emissions reduction. To increase the probability of obtaining stronger commitments, state and local governments can engage in public information campaigns that aim to raise awareness about the true nature of global warming. Coalition leaders must keep in mind that these administrations can help them become more convincing.

By closely examining the importance of scientific studies and the agreements they can reach with national officials, leaders will be able to craft more effective legislation to reduce the impact of climate change. Although the atmosphere's decline appears to move faster than the attempts to reduce it, most people remain confident that national efforts and international alliances will eventually discover a solution. Yet while many are willing to accept the existence of global warming, few seem to realize that their participiation ultimately determines the success of any endeavour designed to fight it. Given that the United States' carbdon dioxide emissions per capita is close to 19 metric tons, it is imperative that the public renounces its long-held consumption habits. If leaders are to stand any chance against the Earth's perilous climate malfunctions, their constituents must be willing to commit an equal amount of effort.