EFFECTIVE ACTION TO COMBAT THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Recognizing the severe threat of human-caused climate chaos to the earth’s atmosphere and to millions of people currently, and to later generations, the Justice Movement vigorously advocates urgent actions to mitigate the climate crisis, including:
- ending power production by coal-burning power plants and a shift to clean, renewable sources of power;
- support for preservation of forests worldwide;
- more sustainable agricultural practices;
- a tax on carbon emissions or a cap-and-dividend system for controlling the emission of greenhouse gases;
- an end to internal combustion-powered vehicles, with a convenient nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations; and
- international leadership for nations that have emitted the most greenhouse gases to assist poorer nations in reducing emissions and adapting to the effects of the climate crisis.
The Record of Republicans and Democrats
Under Republican and Democratic political leadership, the U.S. record on greenhouse gas emissions has been catastrophic. Whether under Democratic or Republican leadership, the U.S. continues to be the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, following China, which has about 4 ½ times the population of the U.S. Among the eight largest emitters of carbon, the U.S. has, by far, the highest rate of emissions per capita. For instance, in 2015, U.S. carbon emissions were 15.53 per capita; China’s were 6.59.[55]
Although more than 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientific papers agree that the growing blanket of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the resulting increase in the warmth of our atmosphere and the earth is caused by humans,[56] the U.S. has never committed to any binding international agreement that requires the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We know that voluntary “agreements” do not work. “Almost every country is falling woefully short” of the commitments under the Paris Agreement,[57] just as it appears that most nations signing the Kyoto Protocol (never ratified by the Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate) also failed to cut emissions as they said they would do.[58]
Although 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and then-Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. had beat the Kyoto goals, the U.S. had committed to achieve a 7 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012 and, instead, by 2011, emissions were 7.5 times higher than 1990 emissions.[59]
The extremely poor leadership in the U.S. has been allowed to continue, notwithstanding the knowledge for over 150 years of the warming effect of greenhouse gases, and the warning over 50 years ago by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that building up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would “almost certainly cause significant changes” and “could be deleterious from the point of view of human beings.”[60] All the while, the warming blanket of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has been allowed to grow dramatically.
The absence of informed, courageous, honest leadership has led to increasingly severe dangers to our atmosphere, animal and human life, and all future inhabitants of the earth.[61]
Our forests are dying[62] and burning[63] at record levels; our oceans are rapidly rising[64] and acidifying,[65] killing and threatening reefs[66] and sea life;[67] heat waves are more frequent, last longer, and are more intense;[68] droughts are more intense and more common in many areas, including the Western United States;[69] and the world is heating up continually, at record rates.[70]
Although more than 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientific papers agree that the growing blanket of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the resulting increase in the warmth of our atmosphere and the earth is caused by humans,[56] the U.S. has never committed to any binding international agreement that requires the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We know that voluntary “agreements” do not work. “Almost every country is falling woefully short” of the commitments under the Paris Agreement,[57] just as it appears that most nations signing the Kyoto Protocol (never ratified by the Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate) also failed to cut emissions as they said they would do.[58]
Although 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and then-Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. had beat the Kyoto goals, the U.S. had committed to achieve a 7 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012 and, instead, by 2011, emissions were 7.5 times higher than 1990 emissions.[59]
The extremely poor leadership in the U.S. has been allowed to continue, notwithstanding the knowledge for over 150 years of the warming effect of greenhouse gases, and the warning over 50 years ago by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that building up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would “almost certainly cause significant changes” and “could be deleterious from the point of view of human beings.”[60] All the while, the warming blanket of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has been allowed to grow dramatically.
The absence of informed, courageous, honest leadership has led to increasingly severe dangers to our atmosphere, animal and human life, and all future inhabitants of the earth.[61]
Our forests are dying[62] and burning[63] at record levels; our oceans are rapidly rising[64] and acidifying,[65] killing and threatening reefs[66] and sea life;[67] heat waves are more frequent, last longer, and are more intense;[68] droughts are more intense and more common in many areas, including the Western United States;[69] and the world is heating up continually, at record rates.[70]
Public Support for Effective Action to Combat Climate Chaos
As noted in 2018 by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago:
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The EPIC/AP-NORC polls reveal that a growing number of people believe climate change is a problem the government needs to address. Of those who believe climate change is happening, the most recent poll shows 76 percent of Republicans, 96 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of Independents believe the government should do something about climate change.[71]
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In a Pew Research poll conducted April–May 2020, 65% of U.S. adults polled said “the federal government is doing too little to reduce effects of climate change.”[72] Ninety percent favor planting about a trillion trees to absorb carbon emissions; 80% favor tougher restrictions on power plant carbon emissions; 73% favor taxing corporations based on their carbon emissions; and 79% believe the U.S. should prioritize developing alternative energy sources.[73]
According to Resources for the Future’s 2020 Climate Insights report,[74] “75% of respondents said they thought global temperatures will probably increase over the next 100 years if nothing is done to stop it.” Eighty-two percent of respondents believe human action has been a cause of global warming. The same percentage of respondents believe global warming will be a serious problem for the US or the world. Eighty-two percent of respondents said the US government should do at least a moderate amount about global warming and only 35-45% of people think governments, businesses, and people are doing at least a moderate amount to deal with climate change. Most people (approximately 70%) want more action on climate change from governments, businesses, and average people.
According to a related report,[75] “the vast majority of Americans favor government effort to shift power generation away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources” and “most Americans think the government should encourage or require better energy efficiency.” “83% of Americans believe the government should offer tax breaks to utilities to produce more electricity from water, wind, and solar power.” “Two-thirds (66%) of Americans want future federal stimulus packages to include creating new jobs and new technologies to reduce future global warming.” Sixty-two percent of respondents were in favor of charging a tax to companies for every ton of greenhouse gases they emit. “Two-thirds (66%) of Americans want future federal stimulus packages to include creating new jobs and new technologies to reduce future global warming.”
In 2020, 81% of respondents favored efforts by the federal government to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 2005 levels by 2025. That was essentially the core of the Paris Climate Agreement, signed by President Obama but repudiated by President Trump. Likewise, more than three-quarters of Americans (77%) favored the U.S. government requiring power plants to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2025, a goal of the Clean Power Plan, promulgated by the Obama administration but reversed by President Trump.
According to an October 2021 PBS Newshour/NPR/Marist poll, nearly six in ten (59% total; 84% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, and 29% of Republicans) said the world is doing “too little” and 50% of those polled (78% of Democrats, 49% of Independents, and 22% of Republicans) said that U.S. policies aimed at reducing the impact of climate change “don’t go far enough.”[76]
In another October 2021 poll conducted by Monmouth University, 66% of respondents supported the “U.S. government doing more to reduce the type of activities that cause climate change and sea level rise.”[77]
According to Resources for the Future’s 2020 Climate Insights report,[74] “75% of respondents said they thought global temperatures will probably increase over the next 100 years if nothing is done to stop it.” Eighty-two percent of respondents believe human action has been a cause of global warming. The same percentage of respondents believe global warming will be a serious problem for the US or the world. Eighty-two percent of respondents said the US government should do at least a moderate amount about global warming and only 35-45% of people think governments, businesses, and people are doing at least a moderate amount to deal with climate change. Most people (approximately 70%) want more action on climate change from governments, businesses, and average people.
According to a related report,[75] “the vast majority of Americans favor government effort to shift power generation away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources” and “most Americans think the government should encourage or require better energy efficiency.” “83% of Americans believe the government should offer tax breaks to utilities to produce more electricity from water, wind, and solar power.” “Two-thirds (66%) of Americans want future federal stimulus packages to include creating new jobs and new technologies to reduce future global warming.” Sixty-two percent of respondents were in favor of charging a tax to companies for every ton of greenhouse gases they emit. “Two-thirds (66%) of Americans want future federal stimulus packages to include creating new jobs and new technologies to reduce future global warming.”
In 2020, 81% of respondents favored efforts by the federal government to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 2005 levels by 2025. That was essentially the core of the Paris Climate Agreement, signed by President Obama but repudiated by President Trump. Likewise, more than three-quarters of Americans (77%) favored the U.S. government requiring power plants to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2025, a goal of the Clean Power Plan, promulgated by the Obama administration but reversed by President Trump.
According to an October 2021 PBS Newshour/NPR/Marist poll, nearly six in ten (59% total; 84% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, and 29% of Republicans) said the world is doing “too little” and 50% of those polled (78% of Democrats, 49% of Independents, and 22% of Republicans) said that U.S. policies aimed at reducing the impact of climate change “don’t go far enough.”[76]
In another October 2021 poll conducted by Monmouth University, 66% of respondents supported the “U.S. government doing more to reduce the type of activities that cause climate change and sea level rise.”[77]
[55] “Carbon Footprint by Country 2021” World Population Review (2021), available at https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/carbon-footprint-by-country.
[56] Krishna Ramanujan, “More than 99.9% of studies agree: Humans caused climate change,” Cornell Chronicle (October 19, 2021), available at https://news.cornell. edu/stories/2021/10/more-999-studies-agree-humans-caused-climate-change.
[57] Oliver Milman, “Governments falling woefully short of Paris climate pledges, study finds,” The Guardian (September 15, 2021), available at https://www.the guardian.com/science/2021/sep/15/governments-falling-short-paris-climate-pledges-study.
[58] Michael Le Page, “Was Kyoto climate deal a success? Figures reveal mixed results,” New Scientist (June 14, 2016), available at https://www.newscientist. com/article/ 2093579-was-kyoto-climate-deal-a-success-figures-reveal-mixed-results/.
[59] Glenn Kessler, “John Kerry’s misfire on U.S. performance on Kyoto emissions targets,” The Washington Post (May 30, 2013), available at https://www. washingtonpost.com/ blogs/fact-checker/post/john-kerrys-misfire-on-us-performance-on-kyoto-emissions-targets/2013/05/29/9a063d84-c8af-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_blog. html (awarding Kerry three “Pinocchios” for his misrepresentations about U.S. emissions reductions).
[60] Katharine Hayhoe: Here’s How Long We’ve Known About Climate Change,” EcoWatch (November 25, 2016), available at https://www.ecowatch.com/ katharine-hayhoe-climate-change-2103671842.html.
[61] See video produced by Justice Movement Executive Director, Rocky Anderson on the devastating consequences of poor leadership, and the opportunities for effective leadership, regarding the climate crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MKcHOqJp6Y.
[62] Alastair Gee, “Is this the end of forests as we’ve known them? Trees lost to drought and wildfires are not returning. Climate change is taking a toll on the world’s forests – and radically changing the environment before our eyes,” The Guardian (March 10, 2021), available at https://www.theguardian.com/environ ment/2021/ mar/10/is-this-the-end-of-forests-as-weve-known-them; “Global warming fuels bark beetles, tree-killing menaces – The beetles have killed more than 5% of the forested area in the western U.S.,” Yale Climate Connections (March 31, 2020), available at https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/03/global-warming-fuels-bark-beetles-tree-killing-menaces/.
[63] Alejandra Borunda, “The science connecting wildfires to climate change: A heating-up planet has driven huge increases in wildfire area burned over the past few decades,” National Geographic (September 17, 2020), available at https://www.national geographic.com/science/article/climate-change-increases-risk-fires-western-us.
[64] “Impacts of Climate Change – Rising Sea Level,” UCAR Center for Science Education, available at https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/rising-sea-level; Christina Nunez, “Sea level rise, facts and information,” National Geographic (February 19, 2019), available at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/sea-level-rise-1.
[65] “CO2 and Ocean Acidification: Causes, Impacts, Solutions,” Union of Concerned Scientists (January 30, 2019, Updated February 6, 2019), available at https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/co2-and-oceanacidification#:~:text=affects% 20marine%20life-,Ocean%20acidification%20affects%20marine%20life, survival%20of%20many%20marine%20species.
[66] “How does climate change affect coral reefs?” National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, available at https://oceanservice.noaa. gov/facts/ coralreef-climate.html; “Coral reefs and climate change,” International Union for Conservation of Nature (March 2021), available at https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/coral-reefs-and-climate-change.
[67] Mary Caperton Morton, “Global Warming Hits Marine Life Hardest,” Eos (American Geophysical Union) (May 2, 2019), available at https://eos.org /articles/global-warming-hits-marine-life-hardest.
[68] “Climate Change Indicators: Heat Waves,” United States Environmental Protection Agency (April 2021), available at https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-waves.
[69] Tiffany Means, “Climate change and droughts: What’s the connection?” Yale Climate Connections (August 18, 2021), available at https://yaleclimate connections.org/ 2021/08/climate-change-and-droughts-whats-the-connection/; Steve Gorman, “Southwest U.S. drought, worst in a century, linked by NOAA to climate change,” Reuters (September 21, 2021), available at https://www.reuters .com/business/environment/ southwest-us-drought-worst-century-linked-by-noaa-climate-change-2021-09-21/.
[70] Sarah Kaplan and John Muyskens, “The past seven years have been the hottest in recorded history, new data shows – Global temperatures in 2021 were among the highest ever observed, with 25 countries setting new annual records, according to scientists from NASA, NOAA and Berkely Earth,” The Washington Post (January 13, 2022), available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/01/13/global-temperature-record-climate-change/.
[71] “Public Opinion on Energy & Climate Change,” (2018), available at https://epic. uchicago.edu/area-of-focus/public-opinion-on-energy-climate-change/.
[72] “Americans see too little federal action on climate change, back range of policies to reduce its effects,” Pew Research Center (June 18, 2020), available at https://www.pew research.org/science/2020/06/23/two-thirds-of-americans-think-government-should-do-more-on-climate/.
[73] Id.
[74] Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis, “Climate Insights 2020: Overall Trends,” (August 24, 2020) Stanford University, Resources for the Future, and ReconMR, available at https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climateinsights2020/.
[75] Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis, “Climate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics,” Stanford University, Resources for the Future and ReconMR (September 23, 2020), available at https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climateinsights2020-policies-and-politics/; National Survey of Public Opinion on Global Warming, available at https://media.rff.org/documents/Climate_Insights_2020_Topline_Findings_Policies_and_Politics.pdf.; Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis, “Technical Report: Climate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics,” (September 2020), available at https://media .rff.org/documents/Policies_and_Politics_Technical_Report_2020.pdf.
[76] NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll: Climate Change, October 2021: Americans Don’t Think the World or the U.S. is Doing Enough About Climate Change,” (October 29, 2021), available at https://maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/npr-pbs-newshour-marist-national-poll-climate-change-october-2021/.
[77] Fires, Floods Linked to Climate, Monmouth University Polling Institute (October 4, 2021), available at https://www.monmouth.edu/pollinginstitute/reports/ MonmouthPoll_US_100421/.
[56] Krishna Ramanujan, “More than 99.9% of studies agree: Humans caused climate change,” Cornell Chronicle (October 19, 2021), available at https://news.cornell. edu/stories/2021/10/more-999-studies-agree-humans-caused-climate-change.
[57] Oliver Milman, “Governments falling woefully short of Paris climate pledges, study finds,” The Guardian (September 15, 2021), available at https://www.the guardian.com/science/2021/sep/15/governments-falling-short-paris-climate-pledges-study.
[58] Michael Le Page, “Was Kyoto climate deal a success? Figures reveal mixed results,” New Scientist (June 14, 2016), available at https://www.newscientist. com/article/ 2093579-was-kyoto-climate-deal-a-success-figures-reveal-mixed-results/.
[59] Glenn Kessler, “John Kerry’s misfire on U.S. performance on Kyoto emissions targets,” The Washington Post (May 30, 2013), available at https://www. washingtonpost.com/ blogs/fact-checker/post/john-kerrys-misfire-on-us-performance-on-kyoto-emissions-targets/2013/05/29/9a063d84-c8af-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_blog. html (awarding Kerry three “Pinocchios” for his misrepresentations about U.S. emissions reductions).
[60] Katharine Hayhoe: Here’s How Long We’ve Known About Climate Change,” EcoWatch (November 25, 2016), available at https://www.ecowatch.com/ katharine-hayhoe-climate-change-2103671842.html.
[61] See video produced by Justice Movement Executive Director, Rocky Anderson on the devastating consequences of poor leadership, and the opportunities for effective leadership, regarding the climate crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MKcHOqJp6Y.
[62] Alastair Gee, “Is this the end of forests as we’ve known them? Trees lost to drought and wildfires are not returning. Climate change is taking a toll on the world’s forests – and radically changing the environment before our eyes,” The Guardian (March 10, 2021), available at https://www.theguardian.com/environ ment/2021/ mar/10/is-this-the-end-of-forests-as-weve-known-them; “Global warming fuels bark beetles, tree-killing menaces – The beetles have killed more than 5% of the forested area in the western U.S.,” Yale Climate Connections (March 31, 2020), available at https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/03/global-warming-fuels-bark-beetles-tree-killing-menaces/.
[63] Alejandra Borunda, “The science connecting wildfires to climate change: A heating-up planet has driven huge increases in wildfire area burned over the past few decades,” National Geographic (September 17, 2020), available at https://www.national geographic.com/science/article/climate-change-increases-risk-fires-western-us.
[64] “Impacts of Climate Change – Rising Sea Level,” UCAR Center for Science Education, available at https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/rising-sea-level; Christina Nunez, “Sea level rise, facts and information,” National Geographic (February 19, 2019), available at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/sea-level-rise-1.
[65] “CO2 and Ocean Acidification: Causes, Impacts, Solutions,” Union of Concerned Scientists (January 30, 2019, Updated February 6, 2019), available at https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/co2-and-oceanacidification#:~:text=affects% 20marine%20life-,Ocean%20acidification%20affects%20marine%20life, survival%20of%20many%20marine%20species.
[66] “How does climate change affect coral reefs?” National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, available at https://oceanservice.noaa. gov/facts/ coralreef-climate.html; “Coral reefs and climate change,” International Union for Conservation of Nature (March 2021), available at https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/coral-reefs-and-climate-change.
[67] Mary Caperton Morton, “Global Warming Hits Marine Life Hardest,” Eos (American Geophysical Union) (May 2, 2019), available at https://eos.org /articles/global-warming-hits-marine-life-hardest.
[68] “Climate Change Indicators: Heat Waves,” United States Environmental Protection Agency (April 2021), available at https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-waves.
[69] Tiffany Means, “Climate change and droughts: What’s the connection?” Yale Climate Connections (August 18, 2021), available at https://yaleclimate connections.org/ 2021/08/climate-change-and-droughts-whats-the-connection/; Steve Gorman, “Southwest U.S. drought, worst in a century, linked by NOAA to climate change,” Reuters (September 21, 2021), available at https://www.reuters .com/business/environment/ southwest-us-drought-worst-century-linked-by-noaa-climate-change-2021-09-21/.
[70] Sarah Kaplan and John Muyskens, “The past seven years have been the hottest in recorded history, new data shows – Global temperatures in 2021 were among the highest ever observed, with 25 countries setting new annual records, according to scientists from NASA, NOAA and Berkely Earth,” The Washington Post (January 13, 2022), available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/01/13/global-temperature-record-climate-change/.
[71] “Public Opinion on Energy & Climate Change,” (2018), available at https://epic. uchicago.edu/area-of-focus/public-opinion-on-energy-climate-change/.
[72] “Americans see too little federal action on climate change, back range of policies to reduce its effects,” Pew Research Center (June 18, 2020), available at https://www.pew research.org/science/2020/06/23/two-thirds-of-americans-think-government-should-do-more-on-climate/.
[73] Id.
[74] Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis, “Climate Insights 2020: Overall Trends,” (August 24, 2020) Stanford University, Resources for the Future, and ReconMR, available at https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climateinsights2020/.
[75] Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis, “Climate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics,” Stanford University, Resources for the Future and ReconMR (September 23, 2020), available at https://www.rff.org/publications/reports/climateinsights2020-policies-and-politics/; National Survey of Public Opinion on Global Warming, available at https://media.rff.org/documents/Climate_Insights_2020_Topline_Findings_Policies_and_Politics.pdf.; Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis, “Technical Report: Climate Insights 2020: Policies and Politics,” (September 2020), available at https://media .rff.org/documents/Policies_and_Politics_Technical_Report_2020.pdf.
[76] NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll: Climate Change, October 2021: Americans Don’t Think the World or the U.S. is Doing Enough About Climate Change,” (October 29, 2021), available at https://maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/npr-pbs-newshour-marist-national-poll-climate-change-october-2021/.
[77] Fires, Floods Linked to Climate, Monmouth University Polling Institute (October 4, 2021), available at https://www.monmouth.edu/pollinginstitute/reports/ MonmouthPoll_US_100421/.
