Climate Policy the Late 20th

Climate Policy

The late 20th and early 21st brought a significant change to global political and economic policy which directly affected any political or social policy towards ecology and climate issues. The concept of globalization in economic and cultural development is a reality for the 21st century. The Internet and advances in telecommunication has made it easy to do business with any country in the world, to increase cultural and social contact, and to extend more timely communication between individuals. Similarly, the end of the Cold War signaled a different type of realignment of nations -- rather than East West philosophically dividing the world, global cultures are now looking to trade and economic growth to change the pattern of their own structures. The developing world, able to see and hear news and entertainment from the developed world, wants to change. Europe has evolved into a union of concerned states; even the United States, Canada, and Mexico are cooperating on a trade agreement to benefit the Americas. As with any period of growth, there is also strife and disagreement. Rapid development has ecological consequences, and more and more scientists are becoming concerned about the carbon footprint of individual nations, as well as the vast amounts of pollutants being pumped into the air and waters of the world. Humans have come to understand that no one lives in isolation when it comes to ecology -- the world is tied together. Rampant pollution in China does have an effect on other countries of the world, as does the high consumption rate of fossil fuel in the United States (Levin, n.d.; Speth, 2003).

In terms of Domestic Climate Policy framework the United States faces growing pressures to adopt a number of mandatory policies that will impact global climate change. Unfortunately the United States is one of the heaviest users of fossil fuel, resources (electricity, water, natural gas), and high carbon footprints. Great strides have taken place largely due to EPA regulation and political education since the 1960s that are not in place in the developed world, however, domestic climate policy examples that need to be emphasized are:

Mandatory greenhouse gas reduction -- following Kyoto and Copenhagen, Congress has mounting pressure to establish a federal mandatory reduction program that will robustly address the problem and risks associated with global climactic change (Nordhaus and Danish, 2004).

Automobile efficiency -- The Clean Air Act of 1970 is somewhat outdated, and it has become apparent that even the 1990 update is no longer strong enough to reduce pollutants to the level of our technological ability. Regulations would force manufacturers to more aggressively work towards hybrid technology (Automobile Emissions, 2007).

Sustainable building materials/Green Building Codes -- The State of California leads the way in adopting sustainable building standards as well as green building codes. The 2008 legislation requires a 15% reduction in overall energy use in new construction (using solar, certified appliances, etc.); a 20% reduction in water use through low-flow appliances; and a 50% reduction in water use for landscaping. In addition, it requires environmentally sensitive building materials. Adoption of this nationwide would have a mitigating effect on ecological issues (Mandatory Green Building Standards, 2009).