Climate Change – Environmental Struggles, Gains and Challenges Ahead
At a time when the world continues to battle to save our changing planet and deal with the perils of climate change, from the murky skyline of China to the melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, scientist and environmentalists continue to warn of the impending danger that we face as a planet. They are steadfast in sounding off the alarm that sustained human action or inaction presents the possibility of recreating the conditions that led to the ice age millions of years ago. Even though it is not predicted to happen soon, the chances are that generations to come will be put in danger that could wipe out the human race.
The Challenges to Years of Work on Climate Change
The unwelcome happening right now is that the United States that has championed the cause of pursuing clean renewable energy and reducing pollution around the world is shifting gears by rolling back and scrapping environmental protections. This has resulted in backlash from scientists, big corporations and activists, they warn that this could have severe consequences on the environment and the global attitude towards protecting the environment and preserving the gains from previous years.
Read about The Paris Agreement
The watering down in the energy standard regulations adopted by the new US administration signals a break in the US efforts to curb emissions and provide a healthier and richer society in the US and across the globe. The fallout from this has sent the administration on a collision course with activist and US state Attorneys who have sued the US Government.
The Gains on Emission Level in the EU in 2016
It is not all gloom and doom as the world welcomes the publishing from the European Commission, that just revealed that coal usage fell by an impressive 11% in 2016 in European emissions. We can find some solace in the report which shows that the efforts to make the world a safer place has not been futile. The Paris Agreement which went into force in late 2016 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also signals the readiness and commitment of world leaders to improving the environment. That’s a huge step forward!
Where Do We Go From Here?
The World cannot afford to go back on the promise to protect our world. Regardless of the US position, other world leaders seem to agree that the way forward is by maintaining regulations and curbing greenhouse gas emissions around the world. Even China’s president Xi Jinping agrees and has become a voice of reason in the ongoing fight for climate change. The reduction recorded by the European Commission was realisable partly due to less reliance on coal and a transition to cleaner and cheaper energy. Positives like this report serve as a bastion of hope for the world right now and generations to come.
