U.S. commitments and responsibilities to reduce global warmings: Contributions of state-level policies and programs
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Global warming is one of the most contentious and complex environmental issues confronting scientists and public policy makers. The scope and potential impacts of global warming are immense, affecting virtually all natural processes at many levels, including coastal zone erosion, estuarine habitat, forests, and agriculture. We hypothesize that managing the natural and societal impacts of global warming, including the costs of its management, abatement, and adaptation, requires not only the cooperation of international agencies and national government, but of individual states and provinces as well. There has been a considerable increase in state-level activity to reduce global warming in the United States, but there has been little assessment of its extent or state motivations. This paper will provide an overview of possible U.S. states` commitments and responsibilities under international treaties and agreements, as well as national policy decrees such as the Clinton Administrations` Climate Change Action Plan. A review of current states` activities with brief case studies of the more progressive state programs (Connecticut, Iowa, California, Missouri, Oregon), their achievements, and their significance. We focus upon federally-mandated global change activities imposed upon states (e.g., national regulations to conserve energy or reduce emissions) and state-motivated policies not required by any national regulation (e.g., land use, transportation, regional planning policies with impacts on global change.) The latter policies may be aimed specifically at global warming prevention or mitigation or they may be incidental, beneficial by-products of policies intended for other purposes--so called `no regrets` policies. We compare the performance of state policies in these two categories in order to ascertain their relative effectiveness and promise for addressing climate change problems.
- Research Organization:
- National Association of Environmental Professionals, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 125915
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9506115--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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