Sci/362: Climate Change Regulations
Climate Change Regulations
SCI/362
August 09, 2012
Climate Change Regulations
Anthropogenic climate change is an establishment phenomenon. Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether climate change will occur, but at what rate, with what effects, and what, if anything, we can do about it. The biggest culprit in climate change is an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is generated primarily through burning fossils. Earth’s average temperature is based on daily measurements taken at several thousand land based meteorological stations around the world, as well as data from weather balloons, orbiting satellites, transoceanic ships, and hundreds of sea surface buoys with temperature sensors. Scientists around the world have researched global climate change for several decades. As the evidence has accumulated, the most qualified to address the issue have concluded that temperatures have increased over the past century, that it is extremely unlikely that natural causes can explain the warming, and the human produced greenhouse gases are the plausible explanation for the warming that has occurred. Climate change is an intricate comparison of numerous geological, atmospheric, and ecological sources. Often the viewpoint of climate change …show more content…
is distilled into an oversimplification of global warming. Global warming is mostly understood in lay terms as the warming of the earth due to the overproduction of greenhouse gasses. In reality, climate change is, “a measure of changes in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades or longer, regardless of cause.” There are three main views pertaining to climate change; global warming, solar irradiance, and natural cycles of the atmosphere. Global warming is the viewpoint that human influences have and are altering the atmosphere by raising the temperature of the planet. This viewpoint is the most widely accepted view from scientists around the world who believe that the release of large amounts of CO2 and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (amongst other gasses are creating a greenhouse effect. The effect of global warming is not completely known. While some sources such as environmental groups like Greenpeace, predict catastrophe, groups like NASA admit that the implications of global warming are not well known (NASA, 2011). The other view of climate change pertains to solar irradiance. The sun has affected the earth’s weather in the past and solar output has increased in the last hundred years. Because the sun is so intricately tied to the earth’s weather and tidal forces, it is only natural to assume that solar activity can have profound effect on the earth’s temperature. However, the alterations in solar output for the last hundred years have been determined ineffectual with regard to changing the earth’s temperature (NASA, 2011).
It is obvious that the planet is enduring changes and that human’s play a large role in this process.
Although I might disagree with the effects of global warming and the timetables, I am however in agreement with change being necessary for preservation of the environment. Since the first environmental laws were passed a debate has grown surrounding the use of command and control regulations versus incentive based regulations. Command and control regulations are government set standards which force industries to comply with environmental standards. A prime example of this would include the Air Quality Standards imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (Harrington and Morgenster,
2004).
Companies must limit pollution levels in accordance with these standards or face fines.
The problem with command and control laws is that they are often slow to be implemented and are often costly to taxpayers because they must be monitored and enforced. Many times these laws are challenged and appealed in courts and can become even more costly to taxpayers. As a result incentive based regulations were designed in response to these problems (Harrington and Morgenster, 2004). Incentive based regulations typically promise tax or monetary incentives to companies or individuals who adopt and use environmentally friendly products. For instance, individuals who place solar panels on their home can receive money from the government in order cover the cost of the panels’ installation and purchase. Although economic incentives are less expensive than command and control regulations they are often not as well known to consumers. The disadvantage of economic incentives is that their benefit is normally not realized immediately but instead over time. The cost of solar panels for home can often take 7 years to fully realize (Harrington and Morgenster, 2004).
To advocate for the use of command and control regulation over economic incentives lacks critical thinking. There is no one size fits all solution. The efforts of both forms of environmental protection must continue to be used and perhaps should be used in cohesion. For instance, if industry is commanded to reduce emissions it can normally make this regulation work if it is given time to research the problem. California for example has been very successful in reducing ground level ozone (CEA, 2011) by requiring that car companies reduce emissions on vehicles (CA.gov, 2011). Perhaps by adding economic incentives to these regulations this will increase the compliance. Only through continued effort and restructuring of law will the problem of climate change be altered into positive direction.
References
California Department of Motor Vehicles (2011) Before Buying a Vehicle From Out of State - Be Sure You Can Register It in California FFVR 29 http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr29.htm
California Environmental Agency. (2011) Key Events in the History of Air Quality in California http://www.arb.ca.gov/html/brochure/history.htm
National Snow and Ice Data Center, (2011). "Glossary – Climate Change". Education Center – Arctic Climatology and Meteorology. NSIDC National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/glossary/climate_change.html
NASA, (2011). Global Climate Change http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
Harrington, W. and Morgenster, R.D. (2004) Economic Incentives versus Command and Control Berkley Ca. http://envirohealth.berkeley.edu/271E/2007/S24/RFF_Resources_152_ecoincentives.pdf
SCI/362
August 09, 2012
Climate Change Regulations
Anthropogenic climate change is an establishment phenomenon. Within the scientific community, the question is no longer whether climate change will occur, but at what rate, with what effects, and what, if anything, we can do about it. The biggest culprit in climate change is an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is generated primarily through burning fossils. Earth’s average temperature is based on daily measurements taken at several thousand land based meteorological stations around the world, as well as data from weather balloons, orbiting satellites, transoceanic ships, and hundreds of sea surface buoys with temperature sensors. Scientists around the world have researched global climate change for several decades. As the evidence has accumulated, the most qualified to address the issue have concluded that temperatures have increased over the past century, that it is extremely unlikely that natural causes can explain the warming, and the human produced greenhouse gases are the plausible explanation for the warming that has occurred. Climate change is an intricate comparison of numerous geological, atmospheric, and ecological sources. Often the viewpoint of climate change …show more content…
is distilled into an oversimplification of global warming. Global warming is mostly understood in lay terms as the warming of the earth due to the overproduction of greenhouse gasses. In reality, climate change is, “a measure of changes in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades or longer, regardless of cause.” There are three main views pertaining to climate change; global warming, solar irradiance, and natural cycles of the atmosphere. Global warming is the viewpoint that human influences have and are altering the atmosphere by raising the temperature of the planet. This viewpoint is the most widely accepted view from scientists around the world who believe that the release of large amounts of CO2 and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) (amongst other gasses are creating a greenhouse effect. The effect of global warming is not completely known. While some sources such as environmental groups like Greenpeace, predict catastrophe, groups like NASA admit that the implications of global warming are not well known (NASA, 2011). The other view of climate change pertains to solar irradiance. The sun has affected the earth’s weather in the past and solar output has increased in the last hundred years. Because the sun is so intricately tied to the earth’s weather and tidal forces, it is only natural to assume that solar activity can have profound effect on the earth’s temperature. However, the alterations in solar output for the last hundred years have been determined ineffectual with regard to changing the earth’s temperature (NASA, 2011).
It is obvious that the planet is enduring changes and that human’s play a large role in this process.
Although I might disagree with the effects of global warming and the timetables, I am however in agreement with change being necessary for preservation of the environment. Since the first environmental laws were passed a debate has grown surrounding the use of command and control regulations versus incentive based regulations. Command and control regulations are government set standards which force industries to comply with environmental standards. A prime example of this would include the Air Quality Standards imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (Harrington and Morgenster,
2004).
Companies must limit pollution levels in accordance with these standards or face fines.
The problem with command and control laws is that they are often slow to be implemented and are often costly to taxpayers because they must be monitored and enforced. Many times these laws are challenged and appealed in courts and can become even more costly to taxpayers. As a result incentive based regulations were designed in response to these problems (Harrington and Morgenster, 2004). Incentive based regulations typically promise tax or monetary incentives to companies or individuals who adopt and use environmentally friendly products. For instance, individuals who place solar panels on their home can receive money from the government in order cover the cost of the panels’ installation and purchase. Although economic incentives are less expensive than command and control regulations they are often not as well known to consumers. The disadvantage of economic incentives is that their benefit is normally not realized immediately but instead over time. The cost of solar panels for home can often take 7 years to fully realize (Harrington and Morgenster, 2004).
To advocate for the use of command and control regulation over economic incentives lacks critical thinking. There is no one size fits all solution. The efforts of both forms of environmental protection must continue to be used and perhaps should be used in cohesion. For instance, if industry is commanded to reduce emissions it can normally make this regulation work if it is given time to research the problem. California for example has been very successful in reducing ground level ozone (CEA, 2011) by requiring that car companies reduce emissions on vehicles (CA.gov, 2011). Perhaps by adding economic incentives to these regulations this will increase the compliance. Only through continued effort and restructuring of law will the problem of climate change be altered into positive direction.
References
California Department of Motor Vehicles (2011) Before Buying a Vehicle From Out of State - Be Sure You Can Register It in California FFVR 29 http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr29.htm
California Environmental Agency. (2011) Key Events in the History of Air Quality in California http://www.arb.ca.gov/html/brochure/history.htm
National Snow and Ice Data Center, (2011). "Glossary – Climate Change". Education Center – Arctic Climatology and Meteorology. NSIDC National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/glossary/climate_change.html
NASA, (2011). Global Climate Change http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
Harrington, W. and Morgenster, R.D. (2004) Economic Incentives versus Command and Control Berkley Ca. http://envirohealth.berkeley.edu/271E/2007/S24/RFF_Resources_152_ecoincentives.pdf