GED Social Studies for Dummies by Achim K. Krull & Achim K. Krull BA MAT

Author:Achim K. Krull & Achim K. Krull BA, MAT
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119029847
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2015-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

Warming up to climate change

Public debate has been raging over whether climate change is real and to what extent humans are responsible for it. Environmental groups have long argued that this change is both real and caused to a large extent by human actions. The National Association of Manufacturers and the coal and oil industry associations are opposed to legislation restricting the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas). In a recent poll, almost all Republican members of the federal legislature had expressed doubt about the reality of climate change. Yet polls show that over 70 percent of U.S. citizens believe climate change is happening, and more than 60 percent believe human activities are part of the cause. Democrats have supported some action on climate change, and in 2015, President Obama announced new reduction targets of some 26 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

The support for such actions is split along party lines. The Republican Party and its supporters are generally opposed to legislation. A PEW Research poll in 2014 showed only 37 percent of Republicans agreed that solid evidence supported the existence of climate change, and only 25 percent agreed it’s a major threat to the United States. Of Democrats polled, 79 agreed that the evidence of climate change is solid, and 68 saw it as a threat. Because any legislative action must pass Congress, these disagreements present a major stumbling block for any legislation attempting to reduce carbon emissions.

Which of the following scenarios would make legislation to curb carbon emissions most likely?

(A) 75 percent of voters support the legislation.

(B) The president supports the legislation.

(C) Over two-thirds of members in the House and Senate support the legislation.

(D) More than 50 percent of the representatives in Congress support the legislation.

The scenario most likely to result in the passing of legislation to curb carbon emissions is Choice (C). Even if the president vetoed such legislation, if over two-thirds in the House and Senate supported the legislation, they’d have enough votes to override the veto.

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