Global Cooperation and the Issue of Climate Change

 Jack Cahalane

Professor Shirk

POLS 170

April 20, 2022

Global Cooperation and the Issue of Climate Change

Arguably the most pressing issue facing future generations is the global issue of climate change. As stated by author Nhina Le in Are Human Rights Universal or Culturally Relative?,  “Among the scientific community it is no longer controversial that anthropogenic climate change is real and a significant threat to the well-being of both current and future generations. But it is also widely acknowledged that human development is an important way to address high levels of global poverty, that such development is energy intensive, and the cheapest sources of energy available are not likely to be clean energy types” (Le 2016).  Up until the 18th century, the changing of the climate and global warming was largely parallel to the natural processes of the Earth correlated to the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit relative to the Sun. Yet, with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, this would entirely change. While these natural processes still exist, they have been superseded in the modern era by human activity. The Industrial Revolution completely overhauled society, beginning in the United Kingdom and moving across the globe. During this period, the progenitors of ubiquitous factory machines and transportation/mining engines would be created via the inventions of the spinning jenny along with the Watt steam engine. Over time, as these inventions began to increasingly become more technologically advanced, they would begin utilizing peat and then coal to power these novel mechanisms. Thus, it is arguably through the roots of the Industrial Revolution which have promulgated the industrialized society today, which uses massive amounts of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Three hundred years later, the problems which originated with the Industrial Revolution have thus become increasingly pressing. With the colossal output of greenhouse gasses, positive feedback loops occur furthered by albedo which is warming the Earth: melting the ice caps and threatening to raise sea levels to a catastrophic level. This notion is only furthered by pollution which is created by human activity, further poisoning the Earth’s water supply, deforestation, and increasing the likelihood of a global catastrophe occurring.

Thus, now more than ever, it is imperative for the world, especially global leaders such as the United States of America to promote agreements which decrease the emissions of greenhouse gasses along with pollutants in order to avoid global catastrophe. Although there have been steps in the right direction, action must be taken sooner rather than later. Beginning with the Montreal Protocol, which sought to save the ozone layer by banning CFCs, HFCs, HCFCs and similar aerosols, cooperative efforts have been taken in order to abate climate change since the late 1980’s-early 1990’s. The Montreal Protocol was incredibly effective, proven by the healing of the ozone layer. Its effectiveness is likely due to its imperative nature due to the dire condition of the ozone layer at the time, the imposition of punishments if not followed, and the clear nature of the protocol itself. In turn, the Kyoto Protocol would become effective in 2005, committing states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, the Kyoto Protocol would largely be deemed as ineffective, as global greenhouse gasses have not necessarily met the standards deemed necessary by the protocol. The reasoning for this ineffectiveness likely lies in the stipulation over the percentage decrease each country must commit relative to its historicity and global output along with the question over the exemption of developing countries. Subsequently, the Paris Accords would be developed as a result, becoming effective in 2016 and finalized in 2022. Yet, although the verdict has yet to be ruled as of now, the Paris Accord has similar issues relative to the Kyoto Protocol. Although the Paris Accords takes into account finances, it struggles to promote a binding nature seen in 2017 when President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Accords. Yet, as discussed in the “Cities, States and Companies Vow to Stick to the Paris Climate Agreement” by author David Francis, “a group of 83 mayors, representing cities such as Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh, separately pledged to meet Paris commitments. University presidents from Emory, Brandeis and Wesleyan are on board, the governors of New York, California and Washington have signed up, and companies, such as Hewlett-Packard and Mars, have also joined the group” (Francis 2017). I believe that in some ways this does give hope that the promotion of cooperating against climate change will occur no matter what. Yet, I believe that it is still imperative for a plan to be created which binds countries so they are not able to disregard them. I believe that this issue will only snowball, especially if disregarded. Furthermore, I believe that inaction towards climate change has been created relative to finances, “procrastination” relative to the idea that current politicians will not have to face the catastrophic effects of climate change, and the notion of the free rider problem due to the non binding nature of states to be part of cooperative coalitions against climate change. This issue of climate change must be tackled sooner than later before it is too late.

Works Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Industrial Revolution". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution. 

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Kyoto Protocol". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/event/Kyoto-Protocol.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Paris Agreement". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Feb. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Paris-Agreement-2015. 

Francis, David. “Cities, States, and Companies Vow to Stick to the Paris Climate Agreement” http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/06/02/cities-states-and-companies-vow-to-stick-to-the-paris-climate-agreement/

Le, Nhina. 2016. “Are Human Rights Universal or Culturally Relative?” Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice 28(2): 203–11.