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    Home»Editorials/Opinion»Letter to The Editor»Letter to The Editor: Rejoining Paris Agreement is the right move
    Letter to The Editor

    Letter to The Editor:
    Rejoining Paris Agreement is the right move

    February 23, 20211 Comment
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    By Terry Hansen
    Hales Corners, Wis.  53130
    (February 23, 2021)]

    Letter to The EditorI’m heartened that the United States has officially rejoined the Paris climate agreement.  President Biden’s move, however, has been criticized by a number of Republicans, who rightly point out that China is the greatest current emitter and the largest consumer of coal.

    A 2020 article in the Washington Examiner, “China coal additions are key source of emissions, and America is doing nothing about it,” offers a variety of strategies for influencing China’s climate policies.  One suggestion is for the U.S. to increase its funding of clean energy in the developing world, thus challenging China’s coal-intensive investments in those nations.  Another is to create incentives that would lower the cost of carbon capture technology to make it more attractive to China.

    Climate change mitigation is an urgent matter.  In its 2020 report on managing climate risk, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission asserts: “A world wracked by frequent and devastating shocks from climate change cannot sustain the fundamental conditions supporting our financial system.  Promoting the transition to a net-zero emissions economy and safeguarding financial stability are consistent, mutually reinforcing objectives.”

    About half of the carbon dioxide we emit stays in the atmosphere for centuries or more.  As a result, global temperature increases are a direct function of cumulative emissions.  Notably, the United States is the greatest cumulative emitter, with twice the historical emissions of second place China.  And as the world’s most significant emitter, the U.S. bears a special responsibility to take action to address the climate crisis.

    Terry Hansen
    Hales Corners, Wis.  53130

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    References

    U.S. Officially Rejoins Paris Climate Agreement
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-officially-rejoins-paris-climate-agreement/
     
    House Energy Action Team criticizes Paris Agreement
    https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases/heat-members-outline-consequences-us-officially-rejoins-paris-agreement
     
    Washington Examiner article
    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/china-coal-additions-are-key-source-of-emissions-and-america-is-doing-almost-nothing-about-it
    U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission report (Chapter 1, p. 2)
    https://www.cftc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/9-9-20%20Report%20of%20the%20Subcommittee%20on%20Climate-Related%20Market%20Risk%20-%20Managing%20Climate%20Risk%20in%20the%20U.S.%20Financial%20System%20for%20posting.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1CrneRn7e4ycpqraJDbVSgD6u1Eadi8yfcY7xKj0Pf4MoyK7P1oGGPbR0
     
    About 50% of CO2 stays in the atmosphere for centuries or more (p. 514, bottom of column 2)
    https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ar4-wg1-chapter7-1.pdf

    The millennial atmospheric lifetime of anthropogenic CO2
    https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10584-008-9413-1.pdf

    Global temperatures are a function of cumulative emissions (section 14.1.2)
    https://science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/14/

    Cumulative CO2 emissions by country
    https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/cumulative-co-emissions?tab=chart&country=CHN+IND+USA+DEU+GBR+Africa

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    1 Comment

    1. Michael Schroeder on March 1, 2021 10:19 pm

      We are broke. What is it about broke do you not understand?

      China, India and Russia have zero intention, nor are they required to meet or come close to the standards that the United States has already achieved on our own…without sending sending billions we don’t have to countries that have no desire, motivation or requirement to do anything, except try at any cost to compete with us.

      Besides without CO2, we’re all dead and the earth stops being green, which has been increasing by the way.

      I don’t expect you to actually read the agreement, most don’t, but Stossel sums it up quite nicely (and so have many others)…and his staff did read it.

      Might be the best 5 minutes you ever spent.

      https://youtu.be/cVkAsPizAbU

    One Bullet Away

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