Free Essay: We Can't Slow Climate Change Without the Energy Companies (Nytimes)

For climate crusades to be achieved, there is a need to bring the two major actors on board. Oil and gas companies need to work together with environmentalists as opposed to seeing each other as opponents. Emissions reduction will be faster with the unity of purpose.

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The majority of oil energy firms identify the danger of climate change and are willing to find an answer. The big five companies: ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Total, Shell, and B.P, have committed themselves to Climate Leadership Council on half carbon dioxide emissions by 2035.

The commitment is a milestone achievement by American climate policy since the energy majors are crucial in any successful clean-energy transition. Oil and gas companies have the capacity needed to venture in low-carbon energy to forge new technological advances. Energy majors are vital in guaranteeing a harmonic conversion to a low-carbon future without main supply distractions and an increase in prices.

Supportive government policy is needed to stabilize public policy and liable pricing pointers to fast-track low-carbon products and technologies. Several executives are advocating for carbon pricing. The Climate Leadership Council seeks a national carbon price of $40 per ton and rising at 5 percent yearly above inflation. If it becomes law by 2021, the United States will surpass its 2025 binder under the Paris Climate Agreement by far.

Question 1

Personal Opinion and Reflections

In what i read for today, i found the nexus among Energy, Security, and Climate change most illuminating. Security in modern times means more than being void of violence and threat from human beings and actions of war, terror, and global threat to the living. Security is more diverse and includes food security, energy security, and other resources that make life more meaningful (Brown & Huntington, 2008). For the 'future to be a fact,' States and other global actors need to ensure their source of energy and security advancement is environmentally friendly and does not lead to climate change. In the United States, Energy security is considered an issue of national security. The U.S. believes reliability on imported energy making the country more vulnerable. Domestic energy exploration of coal, oil, and gas leads to global warming due to emissions of carbon. Security activities like those of the military with chemical weapons, bombing, and nuclear weapons harm the environment.

I am fascinated by the connection between energy, security, and climate change because the global community has realized the threat of global warming. Obama linked security directly to climate change; this leads to a harmonious relationship between energy, safety, and climate change. Globally there is increased adoption of environmentally friendly Energy like Solar, wind, and hydro(Bang, 2010). In a city like Copenhagen, there is a campaign to use bicycles to avoid excessive use of cars and ensure a carbon-neutral city by 2025.

In what i read for today, I found that some governments are dismissing reports by U.N. International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and not honoring agreements made at the Paris climate change conference (Corner, 2011). The climate change impact is real and already being felt: Runaway temperatures, hurricanes, drought, and melting ice sheets flooding significant cities. For example, President Bush administration had a skeptical view of climate change in 2001. The united states withdrew from the Paris Agreement on Climate change, which weakens mitigations since the U.S. has a dominant Geopolitical position. Members of the Paris agreement are sovereign; hence no actor can enforce its provisions. Countries are more concerned about exploiting their natural resources to better their economies with little or no environmental considerations.

Climate change is real. It is not about science but readiness to address the issue. The U.S. military, through the Department of Defence (DoD) has adopted Environment security issues since 2010(Corner et al., 2011). The effect of climate change, like the rising ocean water level on the Atlantic coast, affects daily military operations. Climate change is causing drought, beyond ordinary temperature, melting of ice in Greenland, less glacier, drying of rivers, and harming the ecosystem. Climate Change might Force Over 140 Million people to Migrate Within Countries by 2050(World Bank) (Bang, 2011). Environmental instability affects economic security.

Question 2

• What is Geo-engineering?
• Why the United States ditched the Paris Agreement on Climate Change?
• Who are the major actors in Global climate change mitigation?

Work cited

Bang, G. (2010). Energy security and climate change concerns: Triggers for energy policy change in the United States? Energy Policy, 38(4), 1645-1653. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2009.01.045

Brown, S. P., & Huntington, H. G. (2008). Energy security and climate change protection: Complementarity or tradeoff? Energy Policy, 36(9), 3510-3513. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2008.05.027

Corner, A., Venables, D., Spence, A., Poortinga, W., Demski, C., & Pidgeon, N. (2011). Nuclear power, climate change and energy security: Exploring British public attitudes. Energy Policy, 39(9), 4823-4833. doi:10.1