Bet On Adaptation Not Just Mitigation
In the fight against climate change, work aimed at reducing emissions, stopping their effects and diminishing future consequences is known as mitigation. It is important. However, some communities are already experiencing tragic consequences due to changes in climate over a short period of time. So we also must act to prevent catastrophes, increase resilience, and reduce vulnerability, which is known as adaptation.
Projects to mitigate emissions are more attractive financially than those designed for adaptation, which are generally focused on the most vulnerable communities. But it is important to give adaptation the significance it deserves in recognition of the fact that the impacts of climate change are already a grave reality for many.
At this years COP, representatives are discussing a loss and damage mechanism, referring to the compensation that developed countries the main causes of climate change must make to developing countries, which suffer significant losses due to adverse climate effects, Ortúzar explained. Our governments must support these discussions and commit to the effective use of resources, so all the worlds people can be better prepared for, and help to prevent, greater changes to our climate.
Introduce New Technologies To Remove Emissions
Climate science is clear that not only do we need to reduce emissions, but we also need to remove emissions from the atmosphere and store them safely underground. One way to do this is by planting quick growing energy crops like willow in Ireland which absorb emissions from the atmosphere. These would then be burned as fuel in power plants but, ithe emissions would be captured rather than released into the atmosphere and put into geological storage such as in old gas fields in Ireland or abroad.
The technology exists, but it’s expensive. An agricultural land area similar to what we use for planting spring barley today would also be required to remove 2 million tonnes of emissions from the atmosphere. This impact would be like taking one million cars off the road and is significant.
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From RTÉ Radio 1’s Today With Claire Byrne, Stephen O’Connor and Mike ORourke from Electric Ireland Superhomes answer listeners’ questions on retrofitting their homes
Support Small Agricultural Producers
According to the FAO, the meat industry is responsible for 15 to 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding even those of the transportation sector. In addition, it is the most significant source of water use and contamination in the world. Today, 80 percent of all agricultural production goes toward feeding animals not people. The expansion of land for livestock, and the crops to feed them, is the most significant cause of deforestation in the Amazon.
Governments can make a difference by supporting small local producers who, unlike large factory farms, employ sustainable practices, care about land restoration, benefit nearby communities, and make animals and crops more resilient to climate change. Its less about everybody becoming vegetarians, but more about supporting those who produce our food with a respect for nature.
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How Do Governments Combat Climate Change
Explore seven ways countries are responding to a changing environment.
Actor Joaquin Phoenix stands with protestors waiting to be arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building during a climate change protest and rally on Capitol Hill on January 10, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
Have you ever brought a reusable tote bag to the grocery store? Or refilled a water bottle rather than buy a disposable one? Do you separate your recycling from your trash?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, youre not alone. In the United States, more than half of all adults claim to have taken some action to protect the environment. But will individual actions be enough to address the massive, transnational challenge of climate change? Unfortunately, no.
Almost all experts agree that governmentsnot individuals or private businessesneed to lead the fight against climate change. However, they disagree on the most effective options to address the problem. This lesson outlines seven policies aimed at combating climate change and explores their potential upsides and downsides for society.
U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill, Sherrod Brown, and Robert Menendez, during a news conference announcing legislation aimed at ending subsidies to the five largest oil companies, on May 10, 2011.
Climate Change Affects Us Agricultureand Rural Communities
Climate change presents real threats to U.S. agricultural production, forest resources, and rural economies. Producers and land managers across the country are experiencing climate impacts on their operations through shifting weather patterns and increasingly frequent and severe storms, floods, drought, and wildfire.
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These threats have significant implicationsnot just for farmers, ranchers, and forest landownersbut also for surrounding communities and all Americans.
The Department is developing a comprehensive strategy centered on voluntary incentives that is inclusive for all agricultural producers, landowners, and communities, and that builds on the 90-Day Progress Report on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry .
Additionally, USDAs Action Plan for Climate Adaptation and Resilience outlines action items to address the most significant climate risks to agriculture, forestry, and rural communities.
The Fourth National Climate Assessment details how climate change is affecting various land uses in different regions of the United States.
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The Climate Crisis: Working Together For Future Generations
Bold action to tackle the climate crisis is more urgent than ever. The record-breaking heat, floods, storms, drought, and wildfires devastating communities around the world underscore the grave risks we already face. Through our actions at home and our leadership abroad, the United States is doing its part to build a net zero-emission, resilient future that creates good jobs and ensures a healthy, livable planet for generations to come.
Climate is not a trading card, its our future.
Antony J. BlinkenSecretary of State
No country can solve the climate crisis alone. Everyone must do their part. Shortly after taking office, President Biden called world leaders together and urged them to commit to take the steps needed to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach. Many countries are strengthening their ambition, but stronger and more urgent efforts are needed to reduce emissions and to help the most vulnerable countries cope with devastating climate impacts.
Majorities Of Us Adults Say Federal Government Is Not Doing Enough On The Environment
Majorities of Americans continue to say the federal government is doing too little to protect key aspects of the environment. About two-thirds of Americans say the federal government is doing too little to protect water quality of rivers, lakes and streams , protect air quality and reduce the effects of climate change . About six-in-ten think the federal government is doing too little to protect animals and their habitats , and a slightly smaller majority say the federal government is doing too little to protect open lands in national parks .
These findings come amid a changing federal regulatory landscape. The Trump administration is reversing or seeking to change more than 100 rules and regulations related to carbon dioxide emissions, clean air, water or toxic chemicals.
Public views on how much the federal government is doing to protect key aspects of the environment are virtually unchanged in the last two years. In Pew Research Center surveys in both 2018 and 2019, about two-thirds of Americans said the federal government was doing too little to protect air or water quality or reduce the effects of climate change.
Over the past several years, Americans have become significantly more likely to say protecting the environment and addressing climate change should be top priorities for the president and Congress, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey.
Among Democrats, there are hardly any gaps in views on these questions by generation or gender. .
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Introduce A Carbon Levy On Meat
Eating healthier diets with less red meat is necessary to reduce national and global emissions from agriculture. We produce a lot of milk and meat in Ireland. Most of this is for export to other countries , but the emissions are accounted for here.
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From RTÉ One’s Claire Byrne Live, can plant burgers taste like meat?
The environmental footprint of Irish produce is good when compared to other EU countries, but the challenge is that about one-third of Irelands emissions come from agriculture, with a large portion of that coming from cattle alone
An environmental levy on meat monetises the environmental damage associated with its production and at todays carbon tax would add approximately 0.80 to a kg of meat. The measure is not likely to significantly reduce consumption in Ireland, but the benefit of such a levy would be to recycle the revenue raised back into rural Ireland to help families move to more sustainable practices
More From Cnbc Climate:
The Energy Department said it will implement clear climate adaptation requirements for contractors and suppliers to employ climate adaptation and resilience practices, as well as advance research programs for climate technologies at national laboratories.
The Defense Department wrote that climate change poses a threat to military operations and could create new sources of conflict across the world, including conflicts over potential water shortages. The department has committed to using climate intelligence to inform military planners on where and how military installations are at risk.
The Transportation Department wrote that climate change will make construction and commuting more difficult and dangerous. It vowed to advance greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the sector and invest in more resilient infrastructure.
The department said it will also consider environmental justice by assessing the disproportionate impact climate change has on poor, minority communities when designing new transportation projects.
The Treasury Department said it will work to mitigate the impacts of climate-related financial risks on financial stability. It’s also developing a plan to better sustain its supply chains, including materials required for currency and coinage production.
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World Leaders Must Step Up
The United States accounts for less than 15 percent of global emissions. All countries especially the worlds major economies must contribute their fair share to the global climate effort. Failing to keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius alive will produce more extreme events such as heat waves, floods, storms, wildfires, and droughts significantly exacerbate global food insecurity drive global migration and act as a crisis multiplier that will pose grave national security threats. If the international community fails to address climate change today, the costs of our inaction will be passed down to future generations.
This is a moral imperative, an economic imperative, a moment of peril but also a moment of extraordinary possibilities.
Joseph R. BidenPresident of the United States
Countries must commit to a decisive decade of climate action. By coming together to set bolder emission reduction targets, bolstering adaptation plans, and articulating national roadmaps to achieve those goals, world leaders can help chart a path for a more secure, prosperous, resilient, and sustainable future for all.
Keep Up The Political Pressure
Lobby local politicians and businesses to support efforts to cut emissions and reduce carbon pollution. #ActNow Speak Up has sections on political pressure and corporate action – and Count Us In also has some handy tips for how to do this. Pick an environmental issue you care about, decide on a specific request for change and then try to arrange a meeting with your local representative. It might seem intimidating but your voice deserves to be heard. If humanity is to succeed in tackling the climate emergency, politicians must be part of the solution. Its up to all of us to keep up with the pressure.
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Federal Government Activity On Climate Change
This Ballotpedia article is in need of updates. Please if you would like to suggest a revision. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
| Environmental terms |
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Climate change can refer to significant or large-scale changes in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, or other weather-related events that can occur over a long period of time, including decades, centuries, and millennia. Human-caused climate change is the theory that human-induced increases in carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can lead to global warming and subsequent changes in the climate. Various proposed policies to address potentially human-caused climate change include limits on carbon dioxide emissions from oil, coal, and natural gas and policies to support the production of renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy.
The following article includes background information on the concepts referenced in climate change policy discussions and summaries of federal and state government policies related to the issue. For an article on the relationship between greenhouse gases and climate change, click here.
What Can Local Governments Do To Fight Climate Change A Heck Of A Lot Say Experts
As costs to fight wildfires skyrocket amid warming temperatures and cities look at spending millions to raise sea walls, local leaders say theres real action local governments can take to combat climate change and that the public has an important role to push for it.
Speaking this week at an online conference hosted by Chapman University, panelists said local city and county officials can do things like join renewable power agencies, improve bicycle transit, and redirect government purchasing power to buying zero-carbon products.
But among the most impactful things local governments can do to combat climate change, they said, is incentivizing zoning and land uses that allow people to live closer to where they work. That, coupled with making it easier for people to get around by walking, biking and public transit.
Each city is planning for a lot of housing units. But its putting those housing units close to employment areas, close to areas of transportation, where theres public transport. Because we want to reduce those vehicle miles , said Seimone Jurjis, community development director for the city of Newport Beach.
If you use your car less, theres less carbon emissions.
About 40 percent of Californias carbon dioxide emissions come from transportation, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Dealing with climate change in a creative way, particularly at a local level, means improving the way we live.
Elections matter, Cole added.
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Global Climate Change Activism
Around the world, millions of us are taking steps to defend our climate.
Tens of thousands of school strikers and people from all walks of life have taken to the streets demanding a solution to the climate emergency.
Over the years, Greenpeace has challenged oil companies chasing new fossil fuels to extract and burn. Weve also called out the UK government for their failure to act fast enough on the climate emergency. Meanwhile, ordinary people have blocked tankers and fracking rigs, letting everyone know that renewable energy is the answer to fossil fuels.
Indigenous Peoples are most severely affected by both the causes and effects of climate change. They are often on the front lines, facing down deforestation or kicking out fossil fuel industries that want to put their water supplies at risk from oil spills.
Communities in the Pacific Islands are facing sea level rises and more extreme weather. But they are using their strength and resilience to demand world leaders take quicker climate action in global meetings, such as COP21 in Paris 2015.
For many of these communities, climate change is a fight for life itself. And for many countries around the world, including the UK, climate change is having more and more of a negative impact on people. As a country with the wealth and power to really tackle climate change, its never been more important to demand that our leaders act.
The Economic Promise Of Climate Action
Reaching global net-zero represents the greatest economic opportunity of our time. Today, solar and wind power are the cheapest sources of power generation in countries accounting for 77 percent of global GDP. The global renewable energy market is projected to be worth $2.15 trillion by 2025. U.S. manufacturers can lead this global market in renewable technologies. Conserving forests, restoring ecosystems, and deploying climate-smart agricultural practices can enhance productivity while creating access to new sources of revenue. Small businesses can grow by designing, installing, and innovating energy-conserving technologies and infrastructure.
Smart investments in infrastructure, innovation and U.S. workers can build a zero-carbon economy that gives everybody a fair shot at the American Dream.
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Climate Change: Oversight Of Federal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Efforts
GAO-22-106062
Each year the federal government reports spending billions of dollars on activities related to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. These activities include investments in energy efficiency and technologies to capture carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provided additional billions of dollars in funding and tax credits for such efforts.
We drew from previous reports to highlight GAO’s oversight of federal greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts and opportunities to improve them. For example, we have recommended ways to improve carbon-capture projects.
Each year, the federal government reports spending billions of dollars for federal climate change efforts. Many of these activities focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide. The budget reconciliation act, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, provided additional billions of dollars in funding and tax credits for greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts, among other provisions, but full implementation of these efforts will take time.
