| Issue Background - |
Climate Change
The scientific consensus regarding "man-made" climate change is best
represented by last year's U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) report, which received contributions from over 2500
scientific experts. It identified a more than 90% probability that the
increase in global temperatures over the past 50 years is mostly due to
humanity's greenhouse gas contributions. The report predicted
significant rises in sea levels and world temperatures, leading to
extreme weather patterns and disasters.
Climate change can occur naturally, but the scientific consensus is
that the current spike in worldwide temperatures is attributable to
humans, specifically to our consumption of carbon dioxide-emitting
fossil fuels. Releasing carbon dioxide causes sunlight to be trapped in
the earth's atmosphere to a greater extent, which is known as a
"greenhouse effect."
For many years, the U.S. was the world's foremost emitter of carbon
dioxide, but it was recently overtaken by China. Other top contributors
are the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan. Fully industrialized,
wealthy account for the vast majority of carbon dioxide emissions. They
will also, generally, be the safest from the effects of global warming:
rising sea levels, droughts, floods, extreme weather, food scarcity,
and disease.
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Kyoto Protocol and International Agreements
One of the first initiatives by the Bush Administration on the
environment was to oppose American participation in the Kyoto Protocol,
an international agreement that regulates greenhouse gas emissions. The
US signed the agreement during the Clinton administration, but was
never ratified by Congress, making it non-binding. Critics of the
treaty point argue that it is ineffective without universal
participation among large emitters like China and India. The treaty is
due to expire in 2012, so while the next administration will have the
opportunity to join Kyoto, global attention will also be focused on a
successor document to pick up where Kyoto leaves off. It will be up to
the next President to choose how deeply invested the United States is
in that process.
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US Environmental Law
The US has an extensive list of laws and executive orders addressing
environmental and energy issues. Since the introduction of the National
Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act in the 1970s, bills
have been introduced to regulate emission and pollutant levels, ensure
air and water quality, protect specific areas or animal species, and
provide funds for the clean-up of toxic waste. Currently before
Congress is the 2007 Global Warming Reduction Act, which would mandate
a reduction in carbon emissions by 80% (of 1990 levels) by 2050. In
April 2007, the US Supreme Court decided in Massachusetts v.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that greenhouse gases are to be
regulated under the 1990 and 2005 Clean Air Acts.
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