Is It Time for the Government to Take Action on Climate Change?

The recent report put out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change brings about more detailed and serious questions concerning the nature of climate change. There is a domestic battle in America today over whether or not we are in fact faced with a serious danger concerning carbon emissions. Carbon emissions have reportedly been rising with the rapid industrialization of China along with several other developing countries.

Time to Cut Carbon

This most recent IPCC report argues that carbon emissions need to be dealt with more seriously or we will face uncertain consequences. The report argues for replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy such as wind, solar, and even nuclear. The report goes on to argue heavily the fact that the longer we as global citizens wait to act on the slashing of carbon emissions, the steeper of a price we will pay for it. The report states that it is still possible to limit climate change to 2 degrees Celcius, the globally recognized ‘safe’ limit, if we begin cutting back on carbon emissions immediately. Many around the world are reacting to these new warnings by the IPCC, and questioning how the American government will react to the report.

There are five steps which the government could take in order to properly address the IPCC report, and they are as follows.

1. Recognition

First, the government can begin to address the report by publicly recognizing it. Many Americans want to know how much of this information is scientifically proven, how the US is contributing, and how the US can help. Many Americans want to help, and want to know more about climate change in general.

2. Education

Following recognition, the government could begin addressing whether or not climate change is something we need to be concerned about. If climate change is a serious threat to our health and lifestyle than the government should either alleviate the worry or confront it. There are very many climate change “doubters” around the world who say that climate change is made-up or simply just not a legitimate problem which we need to concern ourselves with. Then there are those who swear by climate change and warn us of illness, food shortages, and rising temperatures capable of disrupting the global economy and daily life. Then there are those who are just plain unsure what the whole controversy is even about. If climate change is recognized by our government as a serious threat then we must begin by finding ways to curb carbon emissions.

3. Carbon Tax

Following this, the government could take a step towards curbing emissions by replacing a portion of income and corporate tax with a carbon tax. This would encourage people to limit their use of carbon. This would also encourage corporations to hire more workers and stimulate new growth in the economy.

4. Invest in Green Infrastructure

In addition, the government could begin to invest in the infrastructure of major cities in order to make them more efficient. This goes for the automobile industry as well. The government could put more investment and research into more efficient cars, at an affordable price.

5. Incentives for Renewable Energy

Lastly, the government could enact a permanent tax incentive for the use of renewable energy. Encouraging major businesses and corporations to lead the way in creating a global industry based on clean air and clean water is of benefit to everyone.

This article was written by Matthew Hall. Matthew is a strong proponent of climate change action and believes that the government has a duty to step in and help mitigate the potentially devasting effects. He is also a professional writer for Supreme Electric and Solar. To view more of his work, check out his Google+.