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10 Ways Obama Could Fight Climate Change
[A] One of the biggest surprises of President Barack Obama's inaugural
address,on Monday was how much he focused on fighting climate change, spending
more time on that issue than any other. "We will respond to the threat of
climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and
future generations," Obama said. The President pointed out that recent severe
weather supplied an urgent impetus for energy innovation and staked the nation's
economic future on responding to a changing climate. "We cannot cede to other
nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries--we must
claim its promise," Obama said. '" That's how we will maintain our economic
vitality and our national treasure--our forests and waterways; our croplands and
snowcapped (山顶积雪的) peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to
our care by God. " so what could the President reasonably do to deliver on that
vow? Here are ten of their suggestions:
Sunset coal with new incentives and regulations.
[B] "Provide incentives to phase out the oldest, most polluting power
plants," said Robert Jackson, a climate scientist at Duke University. It's
already happening, to some degree, as more of the nation transitions to natural
gas. Earth scientist Bill Chameides, dean of Duke's Nicholas School of the
Environment and a former chief scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund,
urges the administration to use its Clean, Air Act authority to promulgate (颁布
)carbon regulations for existing power plants like it has for new ones: "Doing
that will force fuel switching from coal to natural gas. "Invest federal
stimulus money in nuclear power.
[C] It's hardly a perfect fuel, as accidents like Japan's Fukushima fallout
have shown, but with safety precautions new nuclear plants can meaningfully
offset dirtier types of energy, supporters say."Nuclear is the only short-to
medium-term way to really get away from fossil fuels," said Peter Raven.
President emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden. He said the damage done by
relentless global warming will far exceed the damage done by faults in the
nuclear system.
Kill the Keystone pipeline.
[D] The controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline is up for review again by
the White House this year. "The font thing he should do to set the tone to a
lower carbon economy is to reject the Keystone pipeline, “said Raymond Pierrehum
Bert, a geophysical scientist at the University of Chicago. The pipeline was
never going to be a major driver of global emissions, but Pierre humbert and
some other environmentalists say that by killing it the President would send a
clear message about America's intent to ramp down fossil fuels.
Protect the oceans by executive order.
[E] Land use is complicated, but large swaths of oceans can be protected by
executive order. Just as President George W. Bush designated the world's largest
marine monument northwest of Hawaii in 2006. Obama could single-handedly protect
other areas. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle said the
President should focus on parts of the Arctic that are under U. S. control,
putting them off limits to energy production, commercial fishing, and mineral
exploration. Marine sanctuaries (禁捕区) won't stop climate change, but they can
give marine species a better chance of adapting to it by reducing the other
man-made threats the animals face.
Experiment with capturing carbon.
[F] Huge untapped reserves of natural gas and oil make it unlikely that the
U. S. will transition away from fossil fuels in the immediate future. Instead,
said Wallace Broecker, geology professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory, we should attack the atmosphere's carbon surplus directly.
"Obama could make available funds to build and test prototype air capture units"
to capture and store CO2, said Broecker. Removing some carbon from the
atmosphere could buy valuable time as policy makers and scientists explore more
permanent solutions.
Grow government research for new energy sources.
[G] The Department of Energy has a nimble program that's tasked with
innovative energy research—the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. The
ARPA-E funds research in biofuels, transmission,and battery storage, with an
annual budget of $ 275 million. Last year, DOE officials requested at least $ 75
million more. Increasing funding for ARPA-E, said Rare Pomerance, former deputy
assistant secretary of state for environment and development and currently an
environmental consultant, "you get new technologies that undercut coal, oil, and
gas. " Plus, he said, yon get a competitive advantage if American researchers
uncover the next big idea in new energy.
Tax carbon.
[H] Congress would have to agree, but many climate experts say that the
most meaningful way to tackle emissions is to set a price on carbon. "We should
be asking people to pay the cost of putting carbon into the atmosphere as they
buy the fuel," said Josh Willis, climate scientist and oceanographer at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To gain political support for the idea, Obama would
probably have to show that the tax wonld help accelerate technology, grow new
industries, and pay down the deficit.
Dial back the federal government's energy use.
[I] With more than I. 8 million employees, $ 500 billion in annual
purchasing power, and 500,000 buildings to operate, the federal government has
been a leader in reducing energy use since Obama signed a 2009 executive order
to cut waste. "I would urge him to keep using the power of government to promote
energy conservation," said Syndonia Bret-Harte, an Arctic biologist who studies
climate change at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
Build a scientific clearinghouse for climate information.
[J] "I advocate for building a better information system on what is
happening and why," said Kevin Tren berth, head of the Climate Analysis Section
at the U. S. National Center for Atmospheric Research. That involves compiling
observations related to climate change from around the world and using the data
to refine climate modeling. Think of it as a one-stop, user-friendly website
that clearly demonstrates how weather data from around the globe are influenced
by broader shifts in the planet's climate.
Keep talking. Despite a consensus among top scientists, the world still
needs some convincing on climate change.
[K] A CNN poll last week found that just 49 percent of Americans agree that
global warming is real and is due to human activities. "The most important thing
the President can do is to build on his inaugural comments to heighten the sense
of urgency about rapid climate destabilization and clarify its connection to
virtually every other issue on the national agenda," said David Orr,
environmental studies professor at Oberlin College. That means using the bully
clergymen to show how a more volatile climate affects everything from
agriculture to transportation to 21st-century warfare.
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发表于 2018-5-31 22:48:15