Imagine a world 10 degrees hotter than in is today, no arctic ice, no coral reefs, and sea levels risen to drown countless coastal cities. This is our planet if nothing is done about Global Warming.
It’s no recent news that Global Warming exists and that it is indeed an issue. However, 28% of Americans still don’t believe Global Warming is real. Carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 20% in the last century due to human activities. The average global temperatures have raised 1.4˚F, and in places like Alaska and western Canada, the increase in temperature is as severe as 7˚F in only the last 50 years.
Temperature changes aren’t the only effects of global warming. Acording to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sea levels have been projected to rise 2 feet in the next 100 years, which would displace millions of people living in coastal areas.
The EPA has also projected that, if the emission trends continue, the coral reefs will be completely destroyed by 2050. This is most likely within your lifetime.
According to The World Health Organization, 150,000 deaths per year are due to the effects of global warming such as extreme weather, drought, heat waves, decreased food production and the increased spread of diseases like malaria. Although Americans are used to the luxury of clean tap water, air conditioning, seemingly endless food supply, and vaccinations, some people in the world are less fortunate, and are not invincible to the effects of global warming.
The only effects United States citizens are seeing is a 1˚F rise in the average temperature and a 5% increase of precipitation, surely we can’t be THAT responsible for global warming?
Well, not exactly.
The United States only makes up 4.5% of the global population, but is responsible for 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions (second highest in the world, second only to China). The European Union (EU) makes up 7.3% of the global population and is responsible 15% of global carbon dioxide emissions. In other words, the EU is about 1.6 times larger than the US, but the US is responsible for 10% more of the global carbon dioxide emissions than every European country put together.
So what are these European countries doing that we aren’t?
Europe has always had slightly stricter emission standards than the US, but the problem can’t be fixed solely by standards and regulations. After all, we all know that us Americans “want our government out of our business”, including the tailpipes of our cars.
I want you to ask yourself, how often do you ride a public bus, the light rail, a train? How about your family members? Your neighbors? 10% of Europeans use these means of travel every day, versus 2% of Americans.
8% difference of people who use public transit in the US vs. Europe, 10% difference of carbon dioxide emissions in the US vs. Europe.
It’s not hard to imagine why Americans don’t use public transit as avidly as Europeans; most cities in the United States don’t have easily accessible and/or cheap public transit. Yearly passes for the Metro system in Paris are free to residents of the Île-de-France region, and they can be used for the bike rental system as well. A monthly pass for the New York subway and public buses is $89.
You’re probably wondering how the French government can afford to provide public transit for free, and unfortunately, the answer is a word most Americans cringe at: Taxes.
France introduced a payroll tax dedicated solely to public transportation; the only payroll taxes in the US are social security (FICA), Medicare, Federal tax, and Individual state tax (if applicable). By having a specific fund for public transportation, France is dedicating money to be spent directly to public transportation; therefore it continues to be functioning and available to every French citizen. Since the United States only dedicates a portion of tax money to public transportation within a pool of tax money that goes to many other things, it makes it more difficult for the government to improve the system and make it less costly for citizens.
I’m not saying the only solution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the US is to raise taxes for public transportation; it’s just a matter of where the taxes go. Until this happens, there are many things you can do. Consider public transportation, ride your bike, walk, turn off your lights when you leave the room. This is your planet, so love it. We don’t get another one.
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