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Articles related to current policy regarding environmental justice:
2. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trumps-first-100-days-climate-and-energy/
3. http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2016/11/economist-explains-8
My group has decided to edit the pre-existing page on Climate Policy in the United States. This article needs a lot of work; the neutrality of the page is questionable, it may contain original research, and it certainly needs to be updated.
We have decided to add to the federal policy section by adding a sub-section on the Trump administration and what they have done so far regarding climate policy. We will also be updating the state policy section particularly with regard to California. We will expand on the position of political parties and political organizations. Finally we will add a section on environmental justice in climate policy, which is entirely lacking from the current page. Each member of our group will work on one of these topics from this page. I will be adding a justice section to the US Climate Policy page.
This is the link the the pre-existing page we are editing:
Climate and Environmental Justice (Catherine) edit
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Environmental Justice as: “The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” (https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice)
Many studies have shown that those people who are least responsible for causing the problem of climate change are also the most likely to suffer from its impacts. Poor and disempowered groups often do not have the resources, to prepare for, cope or recover from early climate disasters such as droughts, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, etc. (source: The International Dimension of Climate Justice and the Need for International Adaption Funding. J. Timmons Roberts). This occurs not only within the United States but also between rich nations, who predominantly create the problem of climate change by dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and poor nations who have to deal more heavily with the consequences. Thus climate environmental injustices are occurring at both the domestic and international level.
With the rapid acceleration of climate change in recent years, many grassroots movements have emerged to combat its impact. Spokespeople within these groups argue that universal access to a clean and healthy environment and access to critical natural resources are basic human rights (source: Climate Justice Movements Gather Strength. Ambika Chawla). These grassroots groups are part of an emerging global movement that call for attention to the inherent inequities in climate change. These groups, both domestic and international, tend to be self-funded and are geared towards action rather than specific climate research. The livelihoods of many members typically rely on climate-sensitive sectors that they argue are being eroded as a result of climate change, such as, farming, forestry, and fishery.
Assessing the impact of climate justice movements on domestic and international government policies can be difficult as these movements tend to operate and participate outside the political arena. Global policy-making has not yet recognized the overarching principles (climate equity, inclusive participation, and human rights) of the movement. Instead most of those key principles are beginning to emerge in the activity on non-governmental organizations. (source: Climate Justice Movements Gather Strength. Ambika Chawla). A few examples of US-based organizations working for climate justice include: the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), Rising Tide, 350.ORG, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ), Indigenous Environmental Network, and Movement Generation (https://climatealliancemap.org/resources/climate-justice-alliance/).
((Should I include a subsection on international climate justice or simply focus on the United States since the page is about US climate policy?))
I will use The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (commonly known as AB 32) as an example of climate justice policy in the United States. This legislation is significant as it was the first major climate change policy passed in the US. This legislation is already mentioned on the Climate Policy page, however, I will focus on the environmental justice aspect of the policy so as not to make the page redundant. (Source: Best in Show? Climate and Environmental Justice Policy in California. Julie Sze, Gerardo Gambirazzio, Alex Karner, Dana Rowan, Jonathan London, and Deb Niemeier).
AB 32 mandates a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Environmental justice is prominent within this act, both in the specific legal components and in the discursive realm around protecting public health and opposing cap and trade. The Californian environmental justice movement has unique political strength when compared to the rest of the US; thus environmental justice groups as well as national environmental agencies were included in the legislative drafting of AB 32. Put simply, environmental justice groups were seen as important political players by traditional environmental groups because they had the potential to derail the bill's passage. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recruited staffers with environmental justice expertise as well as community leaders in order to appease environmental justice groups and ensure the safe passage of the bill.
The institutionalization of the environmental justice advisory committee (EJAC) proved a symbolic aspect of the AB 32 process. The EJAC ensured there be participatory access mechanisms, so community members could become more involved and informed in the legislative process. Through the EJAC, local environmental justice groups also fought for and strengthened language on public health and opposition to mandating a specific market mechanism, in particular cap and trade in AB 32.
The AB 32 act is a landmark for climate justice policy; however, it remains unclear as to whether it will be a success. There is often a gap between implementing equitable laws and having an environmentally just outcome.
Trump Administration on Climate Change (Tina) edit
During his campaign, Donald Trump made multiple promises to roll back some of the Obama-era regulations made with the purpose of combating climate change. He has said that “nobody really knows” if climate change is human caused, and believes that efforts to curb our fossil fuel industries hurt our global competitivenes1. Trump also pledged to roll back regulations placed on the oil and gas industry by the EPA under the Obama administration in order to boost the productivity of both industries2.
As President-elect, Trump appointed the Attorney General of Oklahoma, Scott Pruitt, for the role of Head of the Environmental Protection Agency. As Attorney General, Pruitt removed Oklahoma’s environmental protection unit and sued the EPA fourteen times for various reasons, thirteen of those fourteen times involving “industry players” as co-parties4. His nomination was confirmed on February 17, 2017 with a 52-46 vote5. Pruitt’s confirmation almost definitely signals a different direction for climate change policy, and one that the Trump administration is looking to capitalize on quickly.
Currently, since he was inaugurated as president, President Donald Trump has begun to move forward with some of his campaign promises in regards to climate change. In alignment with his thoughts on climate change, President Trump has had the “climate change” page on the White House website created by former President Obama removed. It is now only viewable by searching for the archived page3. He also issued an executive order on January 24, 2017 that removed more barriers from the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines, making it easier for the companies sponsoring them to continue with production6 (needs more details, will look into).
Still to add:
section on environmental justice- how will the EJ sector change under this new president who has a very different direction in mind?
He has made strides to limit the amount of information the public receives on climate change and has already moved forward with some of his more controversial promises (like continuing the Dakota access and keystone xl pipelines). Maybe talk about the national parks debate7?
threatened to pull out of the paris agreement or the UNfccc potentially bc of his climate change beliefs(8)
1.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/11/trump-says-nobody-really-knows-if-climate-change-is-real/
2. http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-epa-idUSL1N1FK0UB
3. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/20/the-white-house-websites-page-on-climate-change-just-disappeared.html
4. http://time.com/4635162/scott-pruitt-science-denial/
5. http://www.npr.org/2017/02/17/515802629/scott-pruitt-confirmed-to-lead-environmental-protection-agency
6. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pipeline-idUSKBN15820N
7. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38746608
8. http://fortune.com/2017/01/30/donald-trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-withdraw/
Climate Change Policy at the State Level (Maddy) edit
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/536321/IPOL_IDA(2015)536321_EN.pdf
Magill, 2016: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/us-climate-policy-under-trump-20866
RGGI: https://www.rggi.org/rggi
https://www.c2es.org/us-states-regions
http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/climate_action_team/reports/2006report/2005-12-08_PEW_CENTER_REPORT.PDF
Climate change policy is expected to be reduced under the Trump Administration. This shift from increasing federal regulation under President Obama to federal deregulation under President Trump is putting climate change policy more into the hands of the states (Magill, 2016).
States have in many ways already been leading the push for increased regulation of greenhouse gasses.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cooperative non-for-profit organization aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, began in 2009 and currently operates within Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont (RGGI website). Through the RGGI, states are able to auction off or trade surplus CO2 allowances between each other in order to remain at or below regulatory levels.
California has a similar cap-and-trade program which began in ____.
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and the Canadian Province of Manitoba have a cooperative effort called Powering the Plains. Powering the Plains began in 2002 and aims to expand alternative energy technologies and improve climate-friendly agricultural practices (climatechange.ca.gov).
Maryland began a partnership with the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) in 2015 to research impacts and solutions to climate change called the Maryland Climate Change Commission (www.c2es.org).
I plan to add additional commentary on how state policies have influenced federal policy.
Positions of political parties and special interest groups (Jing) edit
The Green Party is the most active political organization which is dedicated to improving the issue of the climate change. It also supports a holistic approach to justice, recognizing that environmental justice, social justice, and economic justice depend on and support each other. The Green Party believes that no one with discrimination of color and the level of income should be adersely affected nor subjected to harmful levels of toxic chemicals and that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the pollution from industrial, governmental and commercial sources or policies. I would further expand Green Party’s stand points on climate change and environmental injustice.
(http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Green_Party_Environment.htm)
(https://policy.greenparty.org.uk/cc.html)
Democrats are committed to curbing the effects of climate change, protecting America’s natural resources, and ensuring the quality of our air, water, and land for current and future generations. From investing in clean energy to protecting our ecosystems, Democrats are working to address our biggest environmental challenges, paving the way to a more sustainable America. There will be a list of what Democrats have done to contribute for climate change positively.
(https://www.democrats.org/issues/environment)
Republican’s views on global warming
The Republican platform once tried to fight climate change but now it denies It. The republican part seems to be more inclined to those interest groups than other political parties. It brings public attention when Republican leaders are reluctant to the climate change policies.
http://www.republicanviews.org/republican-views-on-global-warming-2/
https://thinkprogress.org/the-republican-platform-once-tried-to-fight-climate-change-now-it-denies-it-8550236c481#.bhvjvgsjo
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-democrats-republicans-platforms-20160727-snap-htmlstory.html Category:Climate and Environmental Justice