On Tuesday, President Obama urged China to make similar
moves in the reduction of greenhouse-gas emission. Although the United Nations
Climate Summit addressed more than 100 world leaders on the issue of climate
change, Obama was largely focused on China’s participation. Currently, the
United States and China are the biggest contributors to pollution in the world.
After proposing regulations on American power plants last June and preparing ambitious
new emission targets for 2050, Obama hopes that the Chinese will also make a
pledge to curb global warming.
Should President Obama have pressured more countries rather
than just China to cut greenhouse-gas emissions? Will Obama’s efforts in
reducing greenhouse-gas emissions be effective without the cooperation of more
countries (such as Russia, Australia, and India) around the world?
How concerned should we be with the possibility of global
warning?
How will these actions affect the coal industry and the U.S.
economy?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/world/asia/obama-at-un-climate-summit-calls-for-vast-international-effort.html?_r=0
I think an under appreciated component of climate change is how most industrialized economies, including us, are largely on a good trajectory regarding emissions. The reason why climate outlooks are so pessimistic is because of countries like China and India industrializing and consuming more coal and energy per capita. I don't think this is necessarily wrong of them, their rising standards of living are wonderful for billions of people. However, it shows that unilateral action from actors like the EU and US is far too little, which is why this conference is so important.
ReplyDeleteI think Megan McArdle has done some good writing on this subject
I agree completely with you, Phil. You bring up an excellent point about China and India using the resources they already possess for energy. The EU and US both are producing less emissions which is why the pressure has fallen off of them lately.
ReplyDeleteMcArdle does an excellent job at laying out why noneconomic costs are so difficult to put a price on.
I agree with the Obama administration's choice to focus efforts on pressuring China more than other countries to reduce their carbon emissions. As an externality, global warming requires a large amount of effort for a small amount of progress. China's growth has massively increased their emissions, and has simultaneously put them in a better position to find cleaner alternatives to burning coal and other fossil fuels. I think if there was a motivation, China could make a large difference by altering their emission trajectory that Philip mentioned.
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