There are a number of ways to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, if that is a worthwhile goal. Among the two most often discussed are a direct tax on carbon and "cap-and-trade." While economists generally agree that the most direct, efficient and transparent way to reduce emissions is to tax carbon production directly, the bills before Congress and ideas being promoted by the Obama administration pursue emission reductions through a cap-and-trade mechanism.
On the campaign trail in 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama announced a plan to create five million new "green collar" jobs. Since becoming president, he has repeatedly touted his support for green jobs; for instance, in his 2010 State of the Union address and Earth Day remarks on April 22, 2010. In addition, recent stimulus legislation and appropriations bills have contained provisions to subsidize or promote green job creation.
The use of nuclear power to generate electricity is growing worldwide. More than 100 nuclear power plants are under construction or in various stages of planning, and many existing plants are expanding.
In December 2009, representatives of nearly 200 governments met in Copenhagen, Denmark, to hammer out the details of a new climate change treaty. Treaty drafts indicated that industrialized countries would be required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions – primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) – up to 80 percent by 2050. Developing countries would not be required to reduce emissions much, if at all. However, no agreement was reached and no firm emissions reduction commitments were made.
The human population is growing – especially in countries where people are already malnourished – and will probably plateau sometime this century between eight and nine billion people. With approximately six million square miles of land under cultivation, the world currently produces more than enough food to feed Earth's six billion people minimally adequate diets. However, as populations grow and developing countries strive for Western living standards, the world will need approximately three times more food than is currently produced.
More than two-thirds of states now require that a percentage of their electric power come from approved “renewable” energy sources. Federal legislation mandating a nationwide standard has also been proposed.
In October, the unemployment rate in the United States reached 10.2 percent. Most economists consider about 5 percent to be full employment. Not surprisingly, job growth is a hot political issue.
Many people are concerned that an increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – due primarily to such human activities as burning fossil fuels for energy – is causing the Earth to warm, with potentially harmful results. In response, many developed countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, committing them to limit and eventually reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The United States chose not to participate, in part because the agreement exempts such developing countries as China and India, although they have the world's fastest-growing economies and emissions.
The $1 billion set aside for the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), or "Cash for Clunkers," ran out quickly this summer. CARS aims to encourage the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles by offering a $3,500 to $4,500 government-funded rebate to consumers who trade-in vehicles that get less than 18 miles per gallon (mpg) for new cars that get more than 22 mpg or new trucks that get at least 18 mpg. Congress refueled the popular stimulus program with another $2 billion – enough to buy a total of approximately 750,000 trade-ins.
Energy use is the largest source of greenhouse gases released by human activities. CO2 emissions from energy use – including transportation, electric power, heating and cooking – account for 82 percent of the country's total. In order to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, Americans must change the way they use energy.
Products intended for use by children may not contain lead amounts greater than 100 parts per million (ppm) starting in 2011. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has ordered manufacturers, distributors and retailers to reduce the lead content of children's products from the current standard of 600 ppm.
Rising prices and security concerns raise important questions about America's energy options. Currently, the United States imports 66 percent of its oil – about 4.7 billion barrels per year or 9,000 barrels every minute. However, there are vast amounts of oil shale – a type of rock rich in kerogen, an organic sedimentary material – which can be converted into high-quality liquid fuels.
About 82 percent of Americans receive drinking water via publicly-owned water systems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many of these municipal and regional systems operate at a loss, meaning users' fees don't cover the cost of treating and delivering the water. Many water authorities are critically behind on maintenance. They lack the capital to update their water purification and wastewater treatment plants, or to secure additional water supplies to meet expected growth in demand.
First developed by Germany during World War II, the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process offers America a chance to utilize its vast domestic coal supply, increase refining capacity, and produce a cost-efficient and clean fuel.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will soon ban the most common light bulbs in the United States. New efficiency standards will require manufacturers to produce incandescent bulbs that use less energy per unit of light produced, starting with 100-watt incandescent bulbs in 2012, down to 40-watt bulbs in 2014.
How will America meet its future energy needs? Rising demand for electricity, possible greenhouse gas legislation and U.S. dependence on foreign oil are some of the reasons for concern. These factors, combined with the high cost and relative unreliability of various other alternative energy sources, have forced policymakers to consider nuclear energy once again.
Federal mismanagement of U.S. forests has increased the number, size and cost of wildfires over the past decade. Historically, the national forests have been logged to provide lumber for commercial activities, to promote forest recreation, species protection and management, and to prevent wildfires.
The United States has refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol intended to limit and eventually reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The treaty did not meet two requirements Congress deemed necessary for a worthwhile international climate change policy — that it: 1) do no harm to the U.S. economy and 2) include developing nations in emissions regulation. Congress should apply these criteria to proposed domestic climate change legislation.
More than 20 years ago, climate scientists began to sound the alarm over the possibility that global temperatures were rising due to human activities, such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in order to study and better understand this potential threat.
There is growing bipartisan political support for increased use of ethanol. An energy bill recently passed by the U.S. Senate would increase mandated ethanol use in blended fuels from 8 billion gallons to 36 billion gallons. Concern about global warming and the desire to improve air quality are stoking the demand for government action.
High gasoline prices and concern about energy security are driving entrepreneurs to explore a variety of ways to produce transportation fuels. For example, researchers are experimenting with technologies to turn turkey, chicken and pig litter, and used tires, into gasoline. On the less exotic side, Congress is pushing ethanol.
For centuries, North America's coastal fisheries ranked among the most bountiful on the planet. For instance, five hundred years ago the English explorer John Cabot reported the waters off Newfoundland were so thick with cod you could catch them by hanging baskets over the ship's side. But the boom is over. American and world fisheries have entered a period of rapid and unprecedented decline.
Most of what Americans "know" about air pollution is false. A recent NCPA study by air researcher Joel Schwartz shows, air pollution across the United States has been declining for decades – and was declining even before passage of the 1970 Clean Air Act.
The United States was founded on the principle of private property ownership as the ultimate guarantor of individual liberty and prosperity. Yet, more than 40 percent of the land is owned by government, and the federal government controls ocean resources within 200 miles of the coast.
Air pollution has been declining for decades across the United States, yet most Americans still believe air pollution is a growing problem and a serious threat to their health.