Why America Should Put a Cap on Co2 Emissions
Karen Mayo
Professor McEachern
English 112
19 June 2012
Audience: The General Public for Informative Purposes, President Obama (even though he already supports the C&T system) and other politicians to gain momentum in implementing this system.
A Policy Proposal: Why America Should Put A Cap on CO2 Emissions
America is a material world, a world of frequent fliers and heated swimming pools, that makes comfort and indulgence a priority. What used to be a fast paced culture is now a society expectant upon immediate gratification, whose inhabitants are more likely to drive an SUV two blocks to McDonald’s rather than walk to the nearest market. It’s a country where the norm is to own more than one car per family, where meat is often a part of every meal, where you can find central air and state of the art appliances in any given middle class home. And in a country as fabulous and extravagant as America, the cost of living acquires a whole new meaning. America is one of the leading contributors of carbon dioxide emissions in the environment because of its eco-unfriendly culture. These harmful emissions trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to climate change and other environmental problems. By accelerating what is known as “the greenhouse effect”, American lifestyles have begun to affect the lives of those all over the world – a situation for which responsibility needs to be taken. Though there are varying opinions on how to go about resolving America’s impact on the environment, the best solution would be to implement what is known as a Cap and Trade system – a system that would be the most efficient means of decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, ultimately bringing in the reigns on environmental, economic and health problems worldwide.
Problem
CO2 is one of the main gases contributing to global warming, which is scientifically proven to accelerate the natural process of climate change - currently the most serious environmental and
Professor McEachern
English 112
19 June 2012
Audience: The General Public for Informative Purposes, President Obama (even though he already supports the C&T system) and other politicians to gain momentum in implementing this system.
A Policy Proposal: Why America Should Put A Cap on CO2 Emissions
America is a material world, a world of frequent fliers and heated swimming pools, that makes comfort and indulgence a priority. What used to be a fast paced culture is now a society expectant upon immediate gratification, whose inhabitants are more likely to drive an SUV two blocks to McDonald’s rather than walk to the nearest market. It’s a country where the norm is to own more than one car per family, where meat is often a part of every meal, where you can find central air and state of the art appliances in any given middle class home. And in a country as fabulous and extravagant as America, the cost of living acquires a whole new meaning. America is one of the leading contributors of carbon dioxide emissions in the environment because of its eco-unfriendly culture. These harmful emissions trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, leading to climate change and other environmental problems. By accelerating what is known as “the greenhouse effect”, American lifestyles have begun to affect the lives of those all over the world – a situation for which responsibility needs to be taken. Though there are varying opinions on how to go about resolving America’s impact on the environment, the best solution would be to implement what is known as a Cap and Trade system – a system that would be the most efficient means of decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, ultimately bringing in the reigns on environmental, economic and health problems worldwide.
Problem
CO2 is one of the main gases contributing to global warming, which is scientifically proven to accelerate the natural process of climate change - currently the most serious environmental and
Cited: “Cap and Trade” Ecomii Web. 17 June 2012 http://www.ecomii.com/ecopedia/cap- and-trade “Climate Change” National Energy Foundation Web. 17 June 2012 http://www.nef.org.uk/climatechange/index.htm Kristof, Nicholas. “Our Gas Guzzlers, Their Lives” Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Reading 9th Edition. Ed. John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 564-565 Print. Lee, Min-Jeong “South Korea Approves Cap and Trade Plan” The Wall Street Journal 2 May 2012 Web. 17 June 2012 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527023038776045773796738 81237522.html “Putting a Price on Carbon: An Emissions Cap or a Tax?” Yale Environment 360 7 May 2009 Web. 17 June 2012 http://e360.yale.edu/feature/putting_a_price_on_carbon_an_emissions_cap_ or_a_tax/2148/ “The Consequences of Global Warming on Weather Patterns” National Resources Defense Council Web. 17 June 2012 http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/fcons/fcons1.asp