Author: melaskandrany

In the New York Times article, “Renewable Energy Is Surging. The G.O.P. Tax Bill Could Curtail That,” the co-authors, Brad Plumer and Jim Tankersley, argue that Republican bills could decrease the amount of wind and solar power used in order to increase oil and gas production. This could be counterproductive to the recent increase in the use of renewable electricity generation due to the lowered cost of solar and wind production from the favorable tax treatment. One Senate bill is attempting to stop multinational companies from moving their profit overseas which could be used to pay for the renewable energy industry. On the other hand, the House bill will “roll back tax credits for wind farms and electric vehicles,” in order to finance nuclear reactors in Georgia. They are also looking to allow oil drilling within the Arctic National Wild Refuge in Alaska. These changes could potentially eliminate around 50% of the new wind farms throughout the nation. These bills only add to federal policy that could stop the Environmental Protection Agency and taxes on imported solar panels.  This could affect states like California that rely heavily on environmental energy while supporting gas and coal production in areas like Texas.  The Trump administration has been vocal about wanting to diminish the use of solar and wind energy completely. It is almost appalling that these bills are even being discussed in the Senate and House. With large amounts of data that correlate the use of coal, oil, and gas to negative climate change and carbon dioxide emissions, it would be surprising if anyone passed this bill. However, due to the fact that the Trump administration and most Republicans are behind these bills, they probably will be passed, continuing the damage to the Earth.

Plumer, Brad, and Jim Tankersley. “Renewable Energy Is Surging. The G.O.P. Tax Bill Could Curtail That.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/climate/tax-overhaul-energy-wind-solar.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate.

Oddly enough, London has begun to mix oil produced from coffee grounds into diesel and biofuels in order to decrease the production of toxic diesel fumes. Due to London’s history of smog and air pollution, transport companies are looking for new sources of energy. The company behind this project, Bio-bean, partnered with Royal Dutch Shell, a large oil company, to introduce their coffee-based oil for bus fuel. Bio-bean collects the 200,000 tons of used grounds produced as waste by Londoners and attempts “to reimagine waste as an untapped source.” City authorities want to make sure that the buses are being fueled by some type of blend of diesel and biofuel made from waste products. Another attempt to solve this problem is that the buses are now being powered by hybrid engines and in the future, have the buses run on electricity or hydrogen to eliminate exhaust fumes completely.

Despite lower taxes to drivers that use low-carbon diesel engines, London still has large concentrations of nitrogen oxide in the air.  Therefore, authorities have introduced a toxicity charge (T-charge) for people who drive vehicles, mostly old-diesel powered models, that do not meet the European Union emission standards. In a similar New York Times article, “London Adds Charge for Older Diesel Vehicles,” the authors explain that this was due to the scandal where large car companies, like Volkswagen, attempt to circumvent environmental standards. This charge is added on top of a longstanding congestion charge in which drivers have to pay a fee to drive in central London during busy hours of the week. The hopes are to decrease air pollution but this tax may also accelerate the decline in sales of old-diesel powered cars. Overall, despite the seemingly unorthodox way of fueling cars, it is clear that officials are taking an initiative in order to reduce emissions and improve air quality in London. They are doing this in the best way possible, which is using waste already created by the city and putting it to good use. Further research of costs for this procedure might make the idea more appealing to other urban centers around the world.

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/world/europe/london-coffee-buses.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&_r=0 (Alan Cowell)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/business/london-diesel-congestion-charge.html/

Despite a seemingly illogical idea to argue against the facts, Republican and conservative politicians continue to ignore the effects of climate change, let alone its existence. In Brad Plumer’s New York Times article, “A Climate Science Report That Changes Minds? Don’t Bet on It,” the author argues that the climate science report published on November 3 by the Trump Administration has not deviated from a similar report published in 2014. Yet, people’s minds have not changed. Despite the fact that these two reports address the same concerns and share similar scientific data, policymakers and the public are unlikely to shift their views. Research has shown that most people are biased due to political beliefs or concerns on the solutions for the problem, rather the actual science of the matter. Republicans believe that global warming is a way for liberals to strong-arm their way of implementing renewable energy and shutting down the coal-mining and domestic oil industries. Similarly, the Trump administration is most likely to ignore the climate report especially after their repeal of regulations on greenhouse gases, a big contributor to global warming.

Another problem involved in the climate change argument includes the idea that the public does not really feel connected with the problem and do not feel like they will be affected by its changes.  The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication surveyed Americans and found that only a small minority believed that they would actually suffer. In a similar NYT article, “Your Race Against Time: How Climate Affects the Marathon,” Michael Greenstone places the effects of climate change in a seemingly privileged perspective in which he argues that rising temperatures have actually decreased the race times for runners. Although the gravity of the situation is not dire in comparison to other problems rising temperatures may cause, it allows a certain group of people, marathon runners, to understand the effects of the climate change and hopefully encourage them to support the cause. Similarly, the businesses that benefit from these races and marathons would be more inclined to provide assistance just so they would not lose profits. In this way, making the problem relevant to the public allows for increased awareness and potential support. Therefore, the public’s opinion on climate change is not set in stone. Politicians that are against climate change, like Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, are beginning to change whether they truly agree with the matter, in order to prepare for changing climates. Therefore, the change is coming, even if increasing efforts are set in place to stop it, however, the ability to take action is the real concern.

Works Cited

Bradsher, Keith. “China’s New Antipollution Push Could Cool Its Growth Engine.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/business/china-pollution-economy.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate.

Despite their booming economic growth, China has certainly lacked improvements and advancements in their environmental sector. China’s success has led to the depletion of their environment which is observed every day due to “smoggy skies, fetid streams and lakes of dying fish” (Bradsher). Environmental authorities have begun to implement stricter orders to decrease the amount of corporate pollution produced. Although China has made great technological advancements in wind and solar power, the country relies on coal to produce almost three-quarters of its electricity. The increasingly modern lifestyle the Chinese consumers have chosen has made the country dependent on the use of coal.

One fear present in economists’ minds is that the effort to clean up the country and reduce pollution could potentially slow down its economic growth. The Chinese officials are thoroughly pressed to ensure the economy continues to move upwards, producing jobs for younger generations, while not falling into the country’s debt problems. Therefore, some officials might view environmental concerns as not a top priority the country should be addressing. It is predicted that the environmental restrictions would cause the growth of the economy to decrease by around two-tenths of a percent. Despite this minuscule value, China plays a very important role in the global economy and could affect the economy of other countries dependent on it, such as Australia. However, if these concerns were addressed, in the long run, the health benefits in the country would be more valuable. Economists’ fear may also be unnecessary due to the fact that there is no certainty that the global economy will truly be affected and it is believed that Chinese government has the potential to clean up the environment without affecting the economy. The debate between spending time, money, and resources to improve the environment at the possible expense of certain businesses and economy has been ongoing in many nations including the United States. Although the article does not provide an in-depth reasoning of the health benefits, it has been for a long time that China’s environment has fallen victim to their industrial expansions, causing their inhabitants to wear dust masks on a daily basis. In a similar Forbes article, “China’s Tougher Environmental Policies Not Only Good For The Locals,” investors will have an incentive to choose companies that are abiding by the environmental laws because the other companies such as chemical and coal powered plants will receive taxes. Kenneth Rapoza, the author, also argues that the big industries, such as coal and steel, will not be affected as much and instead will absorb the smaller companies unable to handle the tax. Therefore, although China is moving towards improving their environment, the journey will be difficult to ensure everyone abides by the law.

Article Mentioned:

Rapoza, Kenneth. “China’s Tougher Environmental Policies Not Only Good For The Locals.”Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 Dec. 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2016/12/26/chinas-tougher-environmental-policies-not-only-good-for-the-locals/.

Sengupta, S. (2017, October 13). How a Seed Bank, Almost Lost in Syria’s War, Could Help Feed a Warming Planet. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/climate/syria-seed-bank.html

In the New York Times article, “How a Seed Bank, Almost Lost in Syria’s War, Could Help Feed a Warming Planet,” the author, Somini Sengupta, shares about a Syrian organization, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (Icarda), that collects seeds from regions within the Fertile Crescent in order to find specific crops that are highly resilient to climate changes. Ali Shehadeh, one of the seed collectors from Icarda, hunts tirelessly for various seeds that are used in agriculture today and complies them within the folders in his office in order to ensure their safety. He attempts to locate and save seeds that belong to hardy plants that could be used in the near future to feed what potentially could be an increasingly warm and arid planet. Icarda, once an asset to the Syrian government due to their research that enhanced Syria’s wheat production, has lost its prestige because the increase in the production of wheat consequently decreased Syria’s underground water source. This depletion further fueled the already present protests in Syria during 2011. In 2014, Icarda began to face problems, such as thievery, as the protests neared their headquarters which caused them to flee the country. Sengupta argues that it is not clear whether the wheat production actually led to the drought. Instead, she explains that the temperature in this region has increased over the past few years and coupled with the fact that farmers rely mostly on rain, agriculture becomes increasingly difficult due to droughts.

Icarda’s largest project, the compilation of seeds throughout the Mediterranean, would have been jeopardized if they didn’t decide to take precautionary actions and send seed samples to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault located on a Norwegian island. Due to the breakout of the war in 2015, the Icarda scientists had to borrow seeds from the vault and they began to disperse their seeds to different vaults within the region, like in Morocco and Lebanon. Despite being unable to go back, the Icarda headquarters in Aleppo contains the majority of their seed collection. This collection is vital for when the climate changes too drastically and farmers have to plant crops that are resilient and can adapt to these changes. Shehadeh’s particular interest in the wild relatives of the seeds used today stems from the notion that these plants are resilient to harsher climates and pests. Their perseverance has spread throughout the Middle Eastern region and is present in Sudan, where Icarda introduced a wheat variety resistant to drought and heat, a fava bean variety that can withstand weeds, and lentils that can mature in a short growing season. It is evident that Icarda’s research is extremely important in terms of food production for the future of our planet. The changing climate continues to create a great impact on agriculture and now is the time to compile enough research and data to ensure stability in the future.